EKSI EKSO

Eksi Ekso are a Boston based trio around for about a decade now though with line-up changes. Here we have a conceptual work based upon the life of a seriously evil individual, a person sometimes referred to as the first American serial killer. The album has been criticized in some quarters for the subject matter but for those of us more interested in music than lyrical content, it doesn't matter anyway. It's actually a fascinating if highly disturbing story.

Briefly, Herman Mudgett (the subject of the album cover) was a 19th century serial killer and extremely disturbing sociopath. Frankly I think guys like this are not worth the ink but this individual took depravity to unbelievable new levels. I'll leave most of the details to the books about him if you're interested, but what got me was that the guy actually built a huge building, a "castle" it was dubbed, a chamber of horrors, right in the middle of Chicago! He constructed rooms without doors, doors without rooms, crooked walls, stairways to nowhere, poisonous gas rooms, secret passages, and chutes by which to send bodies from one area to disposal areas in another. All in the middle of Englewood, with shops and public access on ground level. This guy took great pleasure in depravity and was said to be completely calm and amiable in the minutes preceding his hanging. His quick death was scuttled though when his neck didn't snap as planned and he suffocated slowly and horribly over 20 minutes. Karma, eh Herman?

I've seen Gabriel and Bowie mentioned in reviews of this album but the first reference that popped into my mind was actually Elbow, then maybe later Roxy Music and Field Music. The sound of the album is economical but not bare boned. While their previous work was reported to be very dense the band wanted a departure this time, to "showcases the three multi-instrumentalists alone at their leanest, most raw and honest." The mantra was "if we can't play it, it's not on the song." Starting with that palette the album is a success in sounding rich and pleasing, catchy, occasionally downright danceable. The contrast between the lyrical subject matter and the toe-tapping art rock occasionally enters the listeners thoughts. Rather than being a problem as one critic suggested it may well play right into the narrative of Mr. Mudgett. Beyond providing an odd, uneasy imbalance to the listening experience, one suspects Mudgett's existence was a game to him, and that he may very well have had an extra spring in his step after torturing someone. I haven't read the books yet so that is speculation on my part. In any case I see no problem with the musical approach contrasting the subject matter.

The one way this does recall Gabriel is in the unconventional construction evident through many songs. Keyboards and bass provide the protein of the song, guitars are used more sparingly. Effects, loops, and layered instruments concoct a sound that is not typical, this albums sounds unique. Another element that sets them apart is the vocal of Mr. Korkidis. He has the ability to go it low and deep, or falsetto, and sometimes harmonizes very effectively with himself. At times there are some piano lines and melancholy but not often do the proceedings veer into brooding. More often it feels like sophisticated pop/rock with a sense of 80s/90s pop even--Gold Cures is awesome fun! The album has generated an extreme divergence of opinion from different quarters of the music press, although I think most of the reviews are positive. While Americana UK used the phrase "minor masterpiece", Slug Magazine was absolutely brutal with it, unnecessarily so.

This is definitely a good album and a unique one but doesn't quite get to my 4-star shelf. Although I suspect it could be a grower the more time you spend with it, so who knows.

But slowly their music attract me: neo-classic strings, complex drumming and male/female vocals all do their music not so stereotype and more different from post-rock clones all around.

There is atmospheric sound, melancholic ,even dreamy space in their songs. Vocals are not very usual in the world of post-rock, so I think they are good addition in this album's music as well.

For sure, their music is still framed with genre's frame, even few songs are trying to cross this border. No way masterpiece or revolutionary record, but slightly better than average album.

Inside the album the songs are not long something common for modern post rock bands, lasting an average of 4 to 5 minutes. The vocalists, in particular one of the male vocalists and the female vocalist often sound similar to those from Gregor Samsa yet the other male vocalist has a more colorful sound. The music itself seems dramatic and brilliant in every aspect, as every song in the album is entitled to its own right. Each one could be easily identified such as the first song The Wintering/O' God, They've Frozen, Killing Texas, Albatross (which lasts 8 minutes), I Thought You Died the Last Time and The Gallows.

In overall "I Am Your Bastard Wings" has managed to go above the standards, something unusual, usually for a first release. The album should be next to post rock masterpieces such as the ones from GY!BE, Yndi Halda, Explosions in the Sky, etc. Indeed one of the best post rock releases of 2008 and it's definitely not to be missed.

Eksi Ekso, is made up of "leftovers" from two previous bands, On Fire and The Burning Paris, and in 2008 this Bostonian Sextet presents their first offering, I am Your Bastard Wings. Having no knowledge of both of the ancestors to this band, I came with a clear head and prepared to see what they have in their stock. I must say it was a pleasant discovery.

With a rich engulfing sound, supported by, in addition to the usual rock instrumentation, a chamber section consisting of trumpet, violin, viola and sampling, Eksi Ekso forge a captivating, melancholic atmosphere. Those additional instruments give a valuable orchestral sound to the band, enhancing and adding valuable layers to their sound. The use of three different vocalists (singing either together or separately) also adds to the variety this album offers. What dominates their sound is the big, epic-like aspect which is highly reliant on the strings and trumpet mentioned above. They enrich and add a majestic and certain splendor beauty to the music, increasing the "volume" of the music.

I've heard Eksi Ekso compared to a post-rock band with vocals, and there's merit to this statement, though it is not strictly post-rock that the band delivers. Killing Texas, for instance, presents a less dense, more upbeat side of the band. Moreover, the overall mood, while not far from that of post-rock territories, is given a positive boost towards a good solid rock sound.

Eksi Ekso don't opt for the characteristic long and slow track development style of some post-rock bands. Most of the song songs are not too long, and usually get to the point quickly, in a more typical rock way; and in those nicely flowing tracks, they manage to achieve a successful and efficient effect which is also well executed. The beauty of the music and the way it's performed is enchanting and thrilling. Dramatic, ambitious and grand, it surrounds and fills the listener. This album seems to me to fit an autumn spirit: somewhat gloomy, yet charming, uplifting, and occasionally optimistic. A fantastic surprise this summer. Recommended. 3.5 stars