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Eskimo Joe

Posted on June 22 2009

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Review: Eskimo Joe: Inshalla

The fourth offering from Perth’s Eskimo Joe shows they are in a very different place now from the time of writing 2006’s hugely successful Black Fingernails, Red Wine. Lead singer Kav Temperley has described the moment in Egypt when he decided to give up the rock star persona Black Fingernails, Red Wine allowed him to have, and return home to Fremantle, Western Australian and ‘just be Kav’.

The result is Inshalla, a mature offering of solid Australian rock, quiet reflective moments and subject matter that varies from world issues; ‘The American situation is on our minds again’ in Morning Light, to the daunting prospect of becoming a parent in Childhood Behaviour ; ’I know it’s going to change when the baby comes out,’ and of course, love. Inshalla is an Arabic term loosely translated to mean ‘what will be will be’ and it’s clear the album has been influenced by the fact that Temperley and guitarist Stu Macleod have both become fathers recently and are seeing life through different eyes.

First single Foreign Land hit radio airwaves with high approval; the eerie and exotic Turkish flute introduction making it an instant stand out. The track came about from the coincidence that Eskimo Joe were only blocks away from the apartment in New York when fellow Perth born Heath Ledger died. The title track is great Aussie rock with solid guitar riffs and Temperley’s distinct vocal, forming the mantra for the rest of the album. Second single Losing Friends Over Love is catchy and begs a sing-along: ‘How did everything go wrong, we all just try to carry on.’ The Sound Of Your Heart is a simple love song while Childhood Behaviour is almost a sorry letter to the wives/girlfriends of the band featuring a beautiful string section. Don’t Let Me Down has an 80’s feel to it, with the breathy ‘ah ah’ vocal and strong melody, it’s almost danceable. This is a stand out track, as is the joyful Please Elise, co-written with End of Fashion’s Justin Burford. The delicate vocal introduction to Falling For You feels like the listener is intruding on a ‘private moment’, and the strong drum beats and bass line that follows is emotive, building to an almost desperate plea. Morning Light closes the album, a hopeful track with a swelling Celtic feel complete with whistling. Working with producer Gill Norton (Foo Fighters, Ben Kweller) helped Eskimo Joe trim away the unnecessary production values, leaving only the essential elements of the tracks.

Inshalla feels like a culturally influenced album, apart from the Turkish flute in Foreign Land, the pounding drum beats in Falling For You and interlude in Losing My Mind show that the inspiration for the album came from many places. Some may see the album as being without direction but Inshalla is simply where Eskimo Joe are in their lives at the moment, and it provides an easy listen for a wide audience.

Review by Alexandra Hartshorn

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