The Sheffield Scenester

Formed back in March 2008, Hail To The Eskimo quickly gained a reputation for upbeat punchy songs with a slight edge, not your run of the mill indie bunch, but a band with something to say, provided it was delivered with style. With the forthcoming release of their first single ‘Anything Can Happen Tonight’ we at Scenester were sent a copy of this along with the track ‘Know Your Icon’, so what is all the fuss about?

‘Anything can Happen Tonight’ plays out a typical girl meets boy, boy does a runner, girl meets boy again, girl plays it cooler this time and what will be will be, type of story. This is delivered against a collection of some amazingly catchy guitar riffs whilst Dave Crozier on drums seems to beat the hell out of his kit in the hope the rest of the group can keep up. With this level of energy it is so hard not to love their music but the icing on the cake for me is without any shadow of a doubt is vocalist Sally Leigh, who has serious set of lungs on her. With this song essentially being a love story of sorts, you might expect a soft, sensual emphasis, but no this girl delivers from the heart with such gusto that you are blown away.

The second track ‘Know Your Icon’ is an altogether different proposition, beginning with an intro reminiscent of a soundtrack from a cool, superfly 70’s maverick cop movie....at one point I had an image of ‘Shaft’ in my head! Once again Sally comes into her own though as she bursts in with her trademark powerhouse vocals, this time however I am reminded of Beth Ditto. The song itself seems to confront the brainwashing effects employed by the media, forcing you to dream beyond your means, in other words be true to yourself. Surrounded by racing guitar chords and a more restrained drum this is an outstanding recording. With their ages ranging from 22 to 37, it is easy to see why there are so many little touches from various eras and genres and therefore their appeal should be near to universal, these two tracks only serve to reinforce that theory.

They will be playing live in Sheffield later in the year, at The Grapes on August 29th, and then at The Pomona on October 9th, if their live shows are half as energetic as these tracks then it should be one hell of a night