Yoni Wolf and company have just released Eskimo Snow, an album that is the ying to the yang of last year’s Alopecia. On Eskimo Snow WHY? smooth out the angles of Alopecia and mixes in heavy folk elements to create some sort of bizarre Buck 65/Andrew Bird mash up that somehow works. While Alopecia is upbeat and more direct, Eskimo Snow slides, turns, rolls, hides, and attacks in a subtle manner – Wolf’s lyrics and delivery being the thing that holds it all together. This is why WHY? are fast becoming one of my favorite bands. There’s no formula or sound that dictates how every album should be. Sometimes they tap punk, sometimes, hip hop, sometimes electronica, sometimes folk. And, showing how masterful they are at their song writing craft, everything falls into place – with never feeling a loss of band identity. Eskimo Snow isn’t a top of the rotation album like Alopecia was for me, but it entertained for sure – especially with “This Blackest Purse” (perhaps one of my favorite tracks of the year).
mp3: WHY? – This Blackest Purse
mp3: WHY? – Eskimo Snow
mp3: WHY? – The Vowels Pt. 2 from Alopecia
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Listen to more WHY? on: The Hype Machine | Elbows | Last FMBuy music by WHY? from: Amazon
I really liked the last one ‘alopecia’ but it was possibly the most depressing album I’ve heard in awhile. I was actually sad when I finished listening to it. I’d like to check out the new one but I hope it doesn’t send me spiraling down.
I don’t know, it’s not that it’s too depression that I don’t feel it as much as “Alopecia”…it’s just not as catchy. The hooks aren’t there. It kinda just washes over you, doesn’t stick.
definitely not as catchy, but they really were not shooting for that. this was pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum compared to Alopecia