August 21, 1998

Breath From Another

The utterly fantastic consequence of pop regaining its vice-like grip on the chart's knackers is that the world is once again chocful of beautiful people who dress like fashion whores...

5 / 10 THE UTTERLY FANTASTIC consequence of pop regaining its vice-like grip on the chart's knackers is that the world is once again chocful of beautiful people who dress like fashion whores, smell of heaven and most certainly do not hang around in pubs, bubs. The safe money is on Canadian duo Esthero joining the style elite sooner rather than later, and fair play to the wine bar-lounging ponces.

Esthero consist of one Esthero (for 'tis she) and a musically minded chap called Doc. So, what's up? We are about to invent a new genre is what's up and, since Esthero play music a bit like trip-hop after a vasectomy, we shall call it - ha ha! - snip-hop.

A Good Time noise, it is, too, all itches and twitches and slinky vibes that at some points finds itself giggling at the fun of it all and at others makes like The Cardigans having a stab at some light drum'n'bass, or maybe even Natalie Imroooglywooogly dressed in a rabbit costume, striving to make the ultimate crossover-crazed, coffee table-tastic album. With added bongos.

Fact: sometimes they are so unfeasibly jazzy that if today were 1984 we would have shrieked, "Aaah! Blue Rondo A La Turk! In my bathroom!" and sued ourselves. Hey ho. "I'm honoured that so many talented, gorgeous people were a part of this," oozes Esthie in the sleevenotes. Aw shucks, it was quite literally nothing.

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