Esthero
Breath From Another
(Work/Sony)
I'll admit that I'm a total sucker for sexy female vocals thrown down over a mix of nice beats and various electronic gurgles. While Portishead reigns supreme on my list of trip-hop artists, there have been a ton of entries into the genre in about the last 2 years or so. While some critics say that it has glutted the market with stale sounds and bad music, I think that it may be helping to strengthen it. Because there are so many groups coming out in this field, it's forcing everyone to try new techniques with their sound to make it sound fresh and /or inventive. I'll admit that there have been some lame attempts, but I still like a lot of what I hear.
OK, now on the the entry at hand. Esthero is one of the newer entries in the "trip-hop" market, and although they don't do anything particularly groundbreaking, they do have some nice sounds. The lead singer of the group is a 19 year-old who has a voice that sounds strangely like Bjork in some points. The music is nicely put together beats that dabble a bit in the hip-hop side of things. One thing that is nice is that the overall sound of the disc is much more upbeat than a lot of other groups, and it gives the album a light edge. Check it out when you're sick of moping (not that that's a bad thing).
Rating: 5.5
