I’ve mentioned before that there are limited stories to tell just as there are a finite set of musical notes to play. It’s not the story, it’s the way it’s told. It’s not the musical notes, it’s the way it’s played. The vital ingredient is the creativity.
Swedish band Eskobar, in this vein, clearly acknowledge the debt they pay to an era of Brtit pop defined by bands like Oasis and The Stone Roses: solid guitar-based indie music played with a vibrancy, passion and a certain amount of swagger. And probably no more than three or four chords. But Eskobar, in the vein of what could be called retro rock, do this so very very well.
I have praised their previous singles such as ‘When Heroes Fall’ on this basis, and new release, ‘Hey Sister’ similarly re-expresses classic indie rock with a confidence and attitude built for a stadium performance. Here we have a T-Rex stomp and a bagful of poise – an anthemic chorus with a wall of backing vocals and chiming guitars.
Indeed, what makes Eskobar so great is their ability to make you smile and wallow in rock’n’roll excess and bravado. Singer Daniel Bellqvist has all of the essential ingredients for this particular recipe: a charismatic presence and a huge vocal range with more than a dash of creativity – witness the accompanying video produced by Bellqvist:
Frederik Zäll’s guitars are chiming and buzzing and the rhythm section is pounding with intent. It’s only rock’n’roll, but I love it.
‘Hey Sister’ comes off Eskobar’s forthcoming album ‘Chapter 2’ – a reference to the fact that this is a second coming for the band which formed in late 1996 and took a break. It can be streamed here along with the band’s earlier singles.
