One EskimO are a group that seem to have been left behind in the late 00s scramble, and I think it’s an utter shame. Here’s why.
The usual nostalgia and sentimentality that you ought to expect from my writing aside, I believe that One EskimO gave something to the world that was organic, unapologetically sweet, and creatively complete. At this point, you really need to go and watch the short clip series ‘The Adventures of One EskimO’ on YouTube or wherever you get your archived turn-of-the-century animated music videos.
I know as much about One EskimO as I know about how to keep to a writing schedule for a music blog – which is to say, not very much – but that which I do know is found through their music video series that my cousins showed me when I was around 10 years old. At that age, I must have believed that their use of music videos was a multimedia exercise in conveying compelling narratives and I am sure I would have put it in those terms if asked. Nowadays, my post-university cynicism forces me to acknowledge that the choice to put their music was retrospectively put to film to package the album in a marketable manner, tried and tested in the new century by the likes of Gorillaz. And yet, despite the distinct lack of thematic link between the lyrics and the film’s narrative, and despite the obvious commercial intent, I think it’s brilliant and well worth the watch.
‘Chapter 4: A Little Help’ is one of my favourite clips, set to my favourite track from the album One EskimO, ‘Balloons’. As with the whole series, this chapter sees the adorable Inuit protagonist leave his home, braving wild weather and facing risky endeavours like stratospheric travel in order to recover his true love from a cold kidnapper with a Saruman-like crystal ball… It’s actually better than it sounds.
The voice of lead singer Kristian Leontiou has a deeply mellow characteristic that is inseparable from 00s male-lead indie bands (thinking about Chris Martin but also James Blunt, and lesser-known Nizlopi – the JCB song guy). For me, this voice isn’t for all seasons, but I do love it. The rest of the band and the production team are possibly more impactful in making this project what it is though. Cragie Dodds for example is described online as a “sound designer”, which explains the textural variety and ingenuity across the whole album.
If you’re wanting something vaguely nostalgic, visually comforting, and musically mellow, then One EskimO by One EskimO is a great call. It may not be earth shatteringly complex, but we all need simple comforts sometimes.
Waxing Lyrical 