ONE ESKIMO

ONE ESKIMO

2009-09-16

Hot off the press is this, the self-titled debut from the London, England four-piece indie band calling themselves One Eskimo. Described as the brainchild of front-man Kristian Leontiou, who himself has had some commercial success on his own, reaching the top 10 on the UK charts back in 2004 with the hit "Story of My Life," the band has been tirelessly promoting their debut by touring with the likes of Tori Amos. The first single, "Kandi" was actually one of three songs featured on the 4-song EP released in July of 2009 ("Kandi" appears twice) and features a sample of Candi Staton's 1969 hit "He Called Me Baby." On the full-length, "Hometime" is the opener, a song that features an ethereal melody recognizable by Toyota's use of it in a commercial to promote their eco-friendly manufacturing process. Another standout is the soulful "Giving Up," which features the soft serenade of Leontiou's vocals coupled with a harmony that fits well. "All Balloons" is simple track, featuring a mostly acoustic sound, but one that seems to capture the "lightness" of life as Leontiou sings: "Maybe we're all balloons filled with air, and the reason we're deflated is to remind us that the ground is there." In the end, there's much to like here. The final song, "Amazing," doesn't disappoint as it shed's light on the amazing aspects of the heavenly life to come. On the whole, One Eskimo has created eleven songs that seem to get better each time through and will rightfully attract no small amount of attention in the months to come. ~Reviewed by Jeff Bouma

Quick Links:

• One Eskimo Website