Anybody suffering from Seasonal Affected Disorder would be strongly advised to take out a stake in Eskmo’s concept album on the sun. Our nearest star has inspired a lot of artists over the years, but the LA producer has been moved to make a striking, varied and original album that refuses to pin itself down musically. We therefore move from saw-toothed bass lines and outbursts of percussion (‘The Light Of One Thousand Furnaces’ and ‘The Sun Is A Drum’) to music of serenity and calm (‘Tamara’ and the closing ‘Can’t Taste’) – rather like the effects of the sun at its peak or near the horizon. Meanwhile ‘Blue And Grey’ matches an intriguing vocal with an understated but searching violin solo. Some of the tracks are on the short side, which isn’t a criticism as such – just an observation that ‘SOL’ could easily run for longer and be equally involving. It is, however, a distinctive and often vibrant piece of work.
4 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
{http://soundcloud.com/eskmo/mind-of-war-1}
