Black Fingernails, Red Wine

Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Eskimo Joe
Released: September 25, 2007

While this will be the first CD the Australian mega band, Eskimo Joe, will release in the US, Australia has known about these guys for nearly a decade. I was lucky enough, and maybe some of you reading this were too, to catch this band on stage, live in Sydney, Australia, for Live Earth. I have come across some new fans on the band’s official forum to facebook who have been hooked ever since, myself included. This CD, is deeper and different than the previous two; change seems to be a common theme for the “trio from Freo” (Freo – short for Fremantle, a city located just west of the West Australia capital, Perth), and it drives them into even darker territory this time around. A heavier sound is in fact, more fitting for the new subject matter being explored; however, the sound does get progressively darker from song to song.

“Comfort You” – the lead track is practically instrumental, featuring mostly a beautiful, haunting keyboard melody, building on that is “New York” which adds a simple acoustic guitar melody over a keyboard melody that’s equally simple. While there are drums in every track, there are certain ones that highlight how important a drum beat can be in music. One being “Setting Sun” which also is probably the best song Kav Temperley has written to date, I would highlight the whole song, but there’s only one verse in particular that stands out more than the rest:

“Ice is just a remedy for pain and rising heat,
Hold it in your hands and watch the puddles form around your feet,

And if you drink the water, it might just stop the pain,

From dreaming of the fever drowning holes around your name”

“London Bombs” is a simple, classic ballad, about the loneliness one can find anywhere, in a big city, sitting at home wishing a friend was near, or missing a loved one. Following this low key track, “Sarah” – a playful rock song written for a friend of Kav’s, picks up the energy again, which also features one of the best instrumental breaks in any of their songs (the best, for me, being in “How Does It Feel” – the last track on the album), and some of the best vocals. “This Is Pressure” is my favorite song the band has in their catalogue, its perfection. The vocals, the melody, the lyrics – they all come together in a wonderful song full of metaphors and lyrics that I don’t think I’ll soon forget.

“There is no romance in conversation,

The words fall out like you’re out of patience,

You want to scream and you want to shout,

But you build up steam and you can’t let out”

Following “This Is Pressure” is another rhythm driven song, reminiscent of INXS called “Beating like a Drum”. According to Australian fans, is the band’s popular choice as a show opener, and it’s easy to see why, the infectious drum beat is sure to pump up any crowd. The next track really isn’t a song, but it brings the tempo back to where we started, quiet, haunting and simple with “Reprise”; a recounting of “Comfort You” made more haunting with the addition of violins. The next track called “Suicide Girl” is my least favorite – which by no means detracts from the quality of the song itself…just, I don’t find it to be terribly strong.

The closing track, “How Does It Feel” is another strong track on the album. On this particular track Eskimo Joe goes against what I and probably other listener’s have come to expect. Normally following the instrumental crescendo would be a quiet period, and then vocals would continue. However, in “How Does It Feel” the instrumental brings the song to an exhilarating high point found in 80s stadium rock anthems allowing strong vocals to finish this song that’s almost dreamlike.

“Black Fingernails, Red Wine” is a perfect way for Eskimo Joe to break into the realm of worldwide popularity. Every song on this record tells a story in an infectious way that hooks you in and once Americans discover Eskimo Joe – they’ll need the rest of their records to feed their addiction.

Also included in the US Version of “Black Fingernails, Red Wine” – a bonus CD featuring their videos, or video clips already released in Australia. These include:

· Black Fingernails, Red Wine (Nash Edgerton Version)

· Sarah

· New York

· Breaking Up

Download: “Setting Sun” or “This Is Pressure”

Track Listing:

1. Comfort You

2. New York

3. Black Fingernails, Red Wine

4. Breaking Up

5. Setting Sun

6. London Bombs

7. Sarah

8. This Is Pressure

9. Beating Like A Drum

10. Reprise

11. Suicide Girl

12. How Does It Feel

"A Song Is A City" - Eskimo Joe

Eskimo Joe took a leap of faith with their second full length CD, “A Song Is a City,” making the arrangements even bigger than before. Starting with a very organic sound on the lead track, “Come Down,” it gives Kav, the band’s singer (and lead songwriter) a chance to show off. A song that starts basically a cappella grows into a sweeping stadium rock ballad, yet, still manages to channel the Beatles in their flawless delivery. Eskimo Joe, or “eskies” as fans fondly refer to them as, keep true to the original sound they found with “Girl” but manage to evolve it even further, the sweeping melodies and harmonies fans grew accustomed to on their first disc are still here along with creative song lyrics. Again, showing off their diversity, melodically and lyrically, there’s something for everyone on this fantastic album that will have most the world thinking, “what sophomore slump?” From the title track, “A Song Is a City,” that oozes loneliness and the grittiness that can often be found in a large metropolitan city, to quite possibly Eskimo Joe’s most upbeat song, called “Older than You.” Overall, there’s a darker tone to the music this time around, but through the upbeat melodies and harmonies, Eskimo Joe manage to create a multi-level experience. “You never know how good you’ve got it/’til it all goes bad” (Don’t Let It Fly) is a perfect example of this new dynamic, as well as “From the Sea” – an in your face rock song that reads almost like a pre-war poem about what’s to come, “There’s just no oxygen/why can’t we just fall in/in the sea.” To prove you’re even more creative and diverse in each sequential album isn’t something just any artist or band can do on a regular basis, but that seems to be the growing trend for Eskimo Joe for now and the future.

Download: A Song Is a City and Come Down

Title: A Song Is A City
Artist: Eskimo Joe
Track Listing:

1. Come Down
2. From The Sea
3. Life Is Better With You
4. Older Than You
5. A Song Is A City
6. Don’t Let It Fly
7. I’m So Tired
8. Seven Veils
9. Smoke
10. Carousel
11. This Room
12. Car Crash

"Girl" - Eskimo Joe

“Girl,” The first full length studio recorded album from the Australian band named Eskimo Joe, is a true rock record start to finish. Taking a break every so often from biting guitar chords, slower songs like “Planet Earth” and “Liar” shine as much as the up-beat “Wake Up” and “Sydney Song”. Showing off their musical and lyrical diversity throughout, targeting the sounds of the 90’s grunge era to melodies and harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles. Aside from the often sweeping melodies and harmonies, a band is nothing without creative lyrics, and Eskimo Joe has plenty. A self-proclaimed "story-telling band", every song on the CD is a story – however, there are a few that stick out even on first listen. “There’s nothing underneath your bed/don’t believe what your friends said/go to heaven when you’re dead,” (Take A Rest) and “You know, you know, you know I’m a liar/I can’t, I can’t, get burnt by the fire.” (Liar) Eskimo Joe manages to talk in circles and make perfect sense at the same time with their music; maybe that’s because the band themselves really discovered their strengths before they even attempted to “make it.” Whatever the formula the Western Australian’s used…it certainly worked.

Download: “Wake Up” or “Liar”

Album: Girl
Artist: Eskimo Joe (Kav Temperley, Joel Quartermain, Stu MacLeod)
Track Listing:

1. Head Hurts
2. Wake Up
3. Planet Earth
4. Who Sold Her Out
5. Love List
6. Liar
7. Election
8. Take A Rest
9. Slow Down
10. Sydney Song
11. Just Like Me
12. Driver