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::k4:
a r t i s t :: Eskimo Joe
t i t l e :: Black Fingernails Red Wine
d a t e :: 2006-06-12
l a b e l :: Mushroom
g e n r e :: Alternative
s o u r c e :: CD
b i t r a t e :: 255 kbps avg
e n c o d e r :: LAME 32bits version 3.98.4 (http://www.mp3dev.org/) -V0
t r a c k s :: 12
p l a y t i m e :: 42:40
s i z e :: 78.64 MB
tracklist
1 Comfort You 3:20
2 New York 3:52
3 Black Fingernails, Red Wine 4:09
4 Breaking Up 3:23
5 Setting Sun 3:52
6 London Bombs 3:51
7 Sarah 3:29
8 This Is Pressure 4:09
9 Beating Like A Drum 3:03
10 Reprise 1:59
11 Suicide Girl 3:04
12 How Does It Feel 4:29
releasenotes
There is a darker atmosphere on this album that was only hinted at on the
band's previous releases. Turning to the gothic era of the '80s, you can
almost smell the eye-liner as Eskimo Joe echo the Smiths, INXS and the Cure.
Bizarrely, it doesn't make the album sound dated at all, the band has merely
infused these influences with its own 21st century sensibilities, taking back
the production reigns for, arguably, their strongest album. While there are
still rock bursts of guitars, bass, and drums, the Australian trio of Kav
Temperley, Joel Quartermain, and Stuart MacLeod show a heavier reliance on
keyboards here, which is apparent from the opening lines of "Comfort You"
until the final sustained piano notes of closing track "How Does It Feel."
This is one of the main factors contributing to the moodier theme; another is
the direction the lyrics have taken. The title track, one of the album's best,
displays an ambivalent observation of the world around us: "The argument over
God continues/In this house/All of us stand and point our fingers" and the
puzzling first line of the wonderfully catchy "Sarah": "Sarah/Won't you tell
me your name?" signifies a desire to lead the listener in a new direction.
Previously rooting themselves in Fremantle for their 2004 album A Song Is a
City, the band visit the U.S. and the U.K. for the melancholy pop of "New
York" and the painful ballad "London Bombs," both well-crafted songs full of
hooks (although lead singer Kav sounds like he is singing "London balms" and
he "should have stayed in Baird" rather than bed). In spite of the dark mood
of the album, it doesn't sink to a depressing level, as the energy of the
music keeps it listenable and enjoyable. Songs like "Suicide Girl" and
"Breaking Up" offer the opportunity to sing along in spite of the bleak
imagery of the words. The only major misstep is the pointless "Reprise" which,
as the name suggests, is just a slow instrumental reprise of "Comfort You," a
track that only has three lines of repeated lyrics. Eskimo Joe have yet to
deliver the album they are capable of making (the band's strength seems to be
singles), but overall it's worth a listen. Though some of the material isn't
instantly memorable, there is a lot of lyrical depth and a definite sense of
attack and structure -- something which was missing from their first two
releases.
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Eskimo_Joe-Black_Fingernails_Red_Wine-(510112844-2)-CD-2006-k4_int