e.s.l. – Eye Contact Review
The first time I heard e.s.l. play was at the now-defunct Marine Club in Vancouver a few years ago. A small room with an even smaller stage, it was an intimate setting for what turned out to be a raucous and vibrant performance. As Marta Jaciubek-McKeever (piano and vocals), Cris Derksen (cello) and Joy Mullen (drums) took the stage (Diona Davies and her violin would join e.s.l. a few months later), the crowd gravitated to the front, leaning in close, all ears. e.s.l.’s mix of carefully selected covers and heartrending originals impressed me then, and my respect for these talented musicians has not waned with the release of their first full-length effort, Eye Contact.
A band who lists trees, Jack Daniels and gypsies as influences, e.s.l. has a chemistry and kinship most only dream of. The album does a great job of showing off their musicianship and classical training. I’ve always been a fan of Jaciubek-McKeever’s vocalizing and the quirkiness and confidence of her sometimes breathless, sometimes soaring voice – a style that frequently prompts comparisons to Bjork or Bat for Lashes’ Natasha Khan. You want her to tell you her secrets – and on Eye Contact she almost does. Her oft-cryptic lyrics build on the foundation she laid during her years in Girl Nobody, ranging emotionally from acidic (“You hold your tongue so tight it bleeds”), self-deprecating (“You come for comfort, I give you grief”), and semi-political (“The empire of greed is running out of feed / we’ll starve the beast if we all just don’t buy it”). “Secretariat” is a newlywed’s love letter, inspired by the race horse of the same name and his “heart the size of two”. But her finest work is “Side by Side”, where she confesses, “Baby, not too long ago I broke / all that came right out of me was smoke”. There is an ache in her voice which hints at a scarred and sensitive heart, the taste of regret and things left unsaid.
The first few moments of “I Don’t Buy It” showcase the string section with spine-tingling results, leading into a quiet-loud dynamic and building to a crescendo that’s well worth the wait. Here, Mullen’s drumming is just right, and on “Prove Me Wrong” her soloing is brilliant. Her inventiveness on “Secretariat” makes the song gallop while Davies attacks melodies with unparalleled fervour. Derksen makes love to her cello while Jaciubek-McKeever and guest Duffy Driediger (Ladyhawk) harmonize, silk on silk, making Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane” a masterpiece all their own. Over the course of the album’s thirty-five minutes, you get a sense that the ladies are really enjoying themselves. This is particularly evident in the instrumental “Princess vs. Dragon” and the Beastie Boys cover (“Girls”) featuring Cris Derksen on lead vocals. Other highlights include Chris Smith’s subtle guest work on “Not About You” and The Dark’s vocal contribution to “Venus in Furs” – haunting and macho – a stark contrast to Jaciubek-McKeever’s very feminine, very coy soprano. “Czarne Oczy” is a romping good time, boisterous and infectious despite its dark subject matter and made especially enjoyable by Irek Jaciubek’s vocals. You can almost see the twinkle in his eyes in his “Thank you very much” at track’s end.
Eye Contact is a breath of fresh air, and as e.s.l.’s first release, it promises a bright and experimental future for these four talented musicians. It’s worth the purchase for the artwork alone, the concerted efforts of painter Jennifer Bell, photographer Jeff Petry, and designer Amanda Michas.
e.s.l. hits the mark at many points on this disc, but there is one thing missing – the opportunity to see the ladies play together, to glimpse their shared smiles, their energy on stage. All that’s missing is the eye contact.
e.s.l. is playing dates out east this fall:
September 20 – Ottawa – Ladyfest / September 21 – Montreal – L’escalier
Buy at:
Amazon / Zunior / Puretracks
Tags: album, Cris Derksen, Diona Davies, e.s.l., Joy Mullen, Marta Jaciubek-McKeever, Vancouver
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