A gentle introduction is punctuated with a trace of menace... and then it lands.
‘When The Storm Came’ is as good a title for an opening track as you’ll get. Like a wagon storming the citadel, The Eskies’ brand of gothic-tinged gypsy-folk swaggers out of the speakers with intent. They may class themselves as ‘gentlemen’, but make no mistake, behind the enjoyable quirkiness, there’s malice in this madness.
Deploying impressive harmonies – and no shortage of quality instrumentation – with aplomb, the Dublin-based five-piece have forged a fearsome live reputation, and that energy has been bottled impressively on their first full-length effort.
‘Fever’ jolts along in a Gogol Bordello-style, while ‘Chin Up Jack’ revels in Cockney knees-up undertones. It’s not vaudeville novelty, though, as demonstrated on ‘Eloise’ or ‘Tear Along The Line’, which boasts a melody of which the likes of The Coral would be proud. ‘Wild Wild Heart’, meanwhile, is the sort of upbeat folk tune that made stars of Mumford & Sons.
‘Jesus Don’t Save Me’, a gospel-infused track on which generic folk sounds are allowed to take over, is the album’s weak point. It actually serves to demonstrate why The Eskies are at their best when eclecticism and spontaneity can shine. Dynamic, dark and daring, a track like ‘Down By The River’, for example, will wear the rubber off the soles of dancing shoes.
Managing to inject an indisputably old-school sound with new energy and vigour is no mean feat.
A fine beginning...
KEY TRACK: 'Tear Along The Line'