Esiotrot - Live at the Betsey Trotwood
Do you ever listen to a band briefly and decide that it’s not really for you, only to actually hear to some of their stuff properly about a year later and have your socks knocked off completely?
Esiotrot have just done that to me.
There was always this nagging doubt that they were probably much better than I’d appreciated from having a quick mooch around their myspace ages ago – all the signs were there – the Everett True and Alistair Fitchett endorsements, the trumpet and the trombone, and the line ups they played on. Everything was stacked up in their favour but I never gave them that second chance until today.
So, I’ve got to say – I’m sorry Esiotrot. You were ace all along.
It was downloading their free live album from their myspace that got me, it’s a (dare I say it) lo-fi gem. Beautiful melodies float over what seems to be a ramshackle backing. It’s almost as though the songs are held together by the idea that together they’re going to do something lovely, rather than being held together by the years of drinking stodgy tea in rehearsal rooms and getting chord books for christmas.
That’s not to say there’s no musicianship on the record, there is, and very clever some of it is too - but it’s there for you if you want it rather than forcing itself on you. You can just sit back and just have the sweet melody on messy bolognese if you want, and it works just as well.
Live recordings capture that spirit of Esiotrot so well. You can download Live at the Betsey Trotwood here – and have a look at more stuff on their myspace too.
Me, I’ve learnt my lesson. I’m going to file through the anorak last fm charts to see what else I’ve missed. If you’ve got a band you don’t think your that fussed about but can’t quite place why then why not go back and have a listen. They might be ace all along.
