Esque--Everyone's Playing
self-released 2006
Young bands often fall prey to the pitfalls of underdevlopment. So, when a group of kids come along and deliver a refined work that betrays arbitrary things like age, it's hard not to take notice. A good example of this scenario are Esque. Their debut CD Everyone's Playing possesses a power and maturity most new bands can only dream of.
Due to the synth-driven nature of Esque's music, as well as the hometown connection, there might be a tendency for some to draw parallels between this disc and the synthpunk of Lost Sounds. On the contrary, Everyone's Playing sees a fairly pure post-modern goth being plied in the mold of acts such as the Chameleons and lowsunday. The focus of this material is squarely on melodicism, accentuated by a lush production touch awash in chorus, delay, and extremely wet reverb. The result is a listen that feels much more melancholy than mad.
Fortunately, Esque's songwriting capabilities prove just as impressive as their sound. The angular, funky verses of "Game I Lose" manage to recall prime Comsat Angels a bit. "The Glorious Death Of Me" exhibits the fact these guys don't always have to lean on immediate hooks for success, here cultivating a fantastic sense of epic vastness simply by riding the wave of melody. Ultimately, Everyone's Playing does however draw on the material's catchiness for the lion's share of its strength, a trait at its sharpest on "The Escape Artist." Bookended by a clean key intro and sexy sax through the fade, this one feels like the most sophisticated of the batch.
If Everyone's Playing was the standard color by numbers Cure idol worship so prevalent in this form--and make no mistake, this disc will go over huge with fans of that band as well as disciples like Radio Berlin--there wouldn't really be much worth talking about here. Instead, Esque have managed to dig a little deeper for inspiration than most. This rooted depth combines with genuine and natural songsmithing skills to create a listening experience that's truly worthwhile. An impressive CD that becomes even more so when taking into account it's the band's recorded genesis--what a doozie of a start.
Score this CD directly from ESQUE
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