Published on Apr 27, 1998
Something tells me that Sean Belvedere would have killed for
this review assignment.
You see, Sean is a card-carrying member of the Bjork fan club.
He revels in each strange twist her music takes, and has made it
known in the two reviews he’s done of her albums that he has
thoroughly enjoyed them.
That’s why I think Sean would have liked to review the debut
disc from the Canadian-American band Esthero,
Breath From Another. Their music is hard to pigeonhole, is
definitely different than your run-of-the-mill alternative schlock
that fills some radio stations, and is enjoyable as hell.
Comprised of lead singer Esthero and American-born guitarist
Doc, Esthero is quite the mysterious pairing. Their bio is so
cryptically written that I found myself more amazed that the rich
sonic sculptures that make up this album came from just two people.
(Maybe it was more – I have an advance copy of the CD with minimal
liner notes.) But Esthero creates music that rarely disappoints and
never bores the listener – and they also don’t delve into virtual
weirdness.
From the title track leading off the album (and the sound bites
from
Deliverance), you know this is not your ordinary listening
experience. Doc’s production work is incredibly fresh, pulling
sounds out of a song that you’d never expect. And Esthero’s voice
reminds me a lot of Bjork’s – she can sing one note several
different ways, all in the same breath. She can go from breathless
whisper to impassioned plead seamlessly.
“That Girl” is proof that this strange pairing turns out as
natural as dipping chocolate in peanut butter. If this song doesn’t
become the first single, then I want to have a little talk with the
boys over at Sony Music. In just under five minutes, “That Girl”
captures the essence of Esthero, and could very well be the next
big thing we’ll be listening to on the radio.
Of course, other tracks on
Breath From Another also show a lot of promise, such as
“Heaven Sent,” “Country Livin’ (The World I Know)” and “Swallow
Me”. In fact, by the time the album unofficially ends (leading to
the obligatory “hidden” track), it almost feels unnatural for the
music not to be there, for it provides such a natural “background”
feel to whatever it is you’re doing.
There are few weak moments on
Breath From Another – the most notable being the short
interlude “Flip’er Overture” – but for a first effort, very
impressive, indeed.
In an age where everyone is drooling over alternative (and much
of it out there is either boring or damned annoying),
Breath From Another is a breath of fresh air that could, if
given the chance, wake up a stagnant music scene.