'And Don't Spare The Horses' is a dynamic journey through the ever-expanding world of The Eskies.
Melodramatic tales of woe, betrayal, conflict, upheaval, rebellion, love, loss, fear and anger all wrapped in tongue-in-cheek irreverence and self-deprecation occasionally giving way to a flurry of triumphalism or whisper of introspection.
This is the band's second album after their critically acclaimed 2015 release 'After The Sherry Went Round' and leaps from genres as vast and varied as Folk, Klezmar and Yiddish to Rock, Swing and Blues and much in between.
And they'll play it live for you on Friday night (October 13) at Bedford Esquires.
The elapsing two years since their maiden voyage into the world of long playing records have seen The Eskies tour in ten different countries, playing mainstage slots at both Glastonbury (Field Of Avalon) and Cambridge Folk Festival, appearing on RTE's Saturday Night Show, BBC Radio 4's 'Loose Ends' with Clive Anderson and BBC Radio 3's 'Essential Classics'.
Renowned for their raucous live shows and fiercely passionate support; The Eskies took to the Orphan Studios, Dublin in early 2017, under the watchful gaze of 'Captain' Gavin Glass to document the last year and a half of their musical meanderings.
The challenge, it would seem, would be to capture the infamous energy of their live shows (and they have certainly done that much) but perhaps what those of you who are familiar with The Eskies music may not have anticipated is the band taking time to showcase the range of dynamics they have at their disposal.
Whereas 2015's 'After The Sherry Went Round' garnered praise for having "enough inherent energy to charge a power plant" (The Irish Times); 'And Don't Spare The Horses' also showcases new dimensions to the bands sound while still further demonstrating their penchant for all things dance-worthy.
'Building Up Walls' begins with a low drawl, close and quiet, before erupting into an anthemic refrain. The quiet tension of the beginning giving way to the bitter-sweet, triumphant climax.
'Hail, Hail' is a Poe-esque lament for a long lost love set against the backdrop of a sea-soaked spaghetti western soundscape of sorts.
'Death To The Sentry' is probably the purest folk song on the album, complete with haunting four part harmonies and channels Seigfried Sassoon and Wilfried Owen in a tale of the horrors of war, dread and the longing for home.
Contrast all of this with the breakneck speed of 'Napoleon', the fist pumping chorus that explodes out of the menacing groove in 'I'm Not Sorry', the Mardi Gras feel of 'Shame' and the exuberance of the album's opening track 'All Good Men' (which sounds something like Louis Prima having an existential crisis) and you've got a truly vast and varied record in The Eskies second offering."
If you think it sounds exciting on the screen, imagine it done live...
Book your tickets here
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