I was excited when my wife informed me that I’d have the opportunity to listen to the new, self titled, album from One eskimO. I had heard the first single from the album, “Kandi” (click here to see the video), several times on the radio and was intrigued to find out what else this band had to offer.
One eskimO, the London based band lead by front-man Kristian Leontiou, immediately set the tone of the album with the opening track, “Hometime”. The band’s sound is at the same time acoustic and electronica. Just as bands such as The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and Snow Patrol have merged electric guitar riffs with dance beats a couple years ago, One eskimO uses this same hybrid philosophy by taking folk infused acoustic guitar sounds and pairing them with spacious, ambient, electronic sounds. Their sound reminds me vaguely of Sparklehorse. The result is an original, fresh and engaging sound.
My favorite track of the album is the second song, “Astronauts”. This is a sad, patient song sprinkled with beautiful piano melodies. Leontiou’s vocals are perfect as he reasons with us:
So whenever you need space
I guess it’s okay
When your floating away
To feel nothing at all
We can be astronauts
If you want to get out of here.
We live in an iTunes world where we can choose, find and own a single song that we like at the click of a button. It is easy to forget the importance of an album, of a group of songs relating to each other. I was not surprised to learn that the band has released an animated film that accompanies the music. One Eskimo’s album takes folk, rock, jazz, dance and electronica and blends it all together. Rock and Roll is best when the lines get blurred a little bit. For this album, the resulting picture is a collection of songs that speak to each other, and their conversation is something that grabs our attention. We want to listen. This is a great album to study to, or to have on at a dinner party, or to have on during a road trip. From the Jack Johnson influenced “Simple Day” to the Maroon 5 sounding “Givin’ Up”, this album is a road trip in itself. It doesn’t get too comfortable, it continues to change, but is comfortable to listen to. It is moody, but in a good way. I can’t wait to hear where they will go from here.
One eskimO is currently on tour…. check out these date for a city near you:
May 14 Miami, FL Fillmore
May 15 Jacksonville, FL Free Bird Live
May 18 Orlando, FL House of Blues
May 19 Tampa, FL The Ritz Ybor
May 22 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
May 24 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
May 25 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
Jun 01 Toronto, ON The Guvernment
Jun 03 New York, NY The Beach at Governor’s Island
Jun 04 Boston, MA House of Blues
Jun 05 Essex Junction, VT Camplain Valley Expo
Jun 06 Hunter, NY Mountain Jam Festival
Jun 08 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Thtr
Jun 09 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Jun 12 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
Jun 13 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
Aug 14 Denver, CO Mile High Festival
Win It:
One (1) lucky winner will receive an One eskimO T-shirt and a copy of the self titled album.
How to Enter:
Visit One eskimO’s website and tell me one thing you learned about the band.
(You must complete this entry before completing any of the bonus entries)
Bonus Entries:
- Follow me on Twitter and Tweet: Win One eskimO’s self-titled CD and T-shirt@AMomsImpression http://wyn.cc/ho4fn (You may enter daily, just leave a comment with each Tweet’s link)
- Follow A Mom’s Impression on Facebook
- Follow One eskimO on Facebook
- Blog about this giveaway (Please leave a link to your post)
- Grab my Button and post it on your blog.
- Subscribe to A Mom’s Impression by Email (2 Entries, please leave 2 comments: Please remember to confirm your subscription)
- Comment on any non-giveaway post on A Mom’s Impression. (just tell me what post you commented on)
Please leave a comment about each entry, include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information. Open to US or Canadian residents only. This giveaway will end at midnight on June 3. Winner will be picked from Random.org. Good Luck!
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