Rob Bravery - Esque
7/10
An impressive debut from singer-songwriter Rob Bravery, with eleven songs that have a lightness of touch and sensitivity that cry out to become the accompaniment to an existential comedy. In fact, the more I listen to this the more I am reminded of Jon Brion's wonderful soundtrack to I Heart Huckabees. The vocals have a slightly nasal quality, suggestive of a kazoo stuffed with silks and satins. Others might speculatively describe the sound as being akin to Thom Yorke on Prozac.
Starting with the slightly trippy, hip-hoppy beats of Knock Out Ginger, with modulating grand piano and a real sense of singing with the eyes closed, Esque takes a journey that is exploratory, yet still seems strangely familiar. Occasionally the reigns are loosened slightly, as in the stampy You Don't Know When To Stop, and the guitar replaces the piano in the folky Fruition, but otherwise this is somewhat of a one-trick pony. The synths and drum loops are never intrusive, and may provide the Bose speakers with an extra bit of oomph, but James Blake need not panic just yet. Pleasant and soothing, but not life-changing.
M&S and John Lewis might like to pick over the carcass of this one for a few campaign ideas.
7/10
