Since releasing their superbly title debut I Am Your Bastard Wings in 2008, Boston’s Eksi Ekso have gone from six to three full time members, become infatuated with synthesizers and totally changed direction for their new album. Said album Brown Shark, Red Lion finds the newly stripped down trio explore orchestral pop, synth-soaked dance and balls to the wall rock with sadly, fairly hit and miss results.
After feeling constrained by the apathy of working within a large band seemingly destine to remain within its post rock constraints, current members Tom Korkidis (vocals, guitar, bass, keys), Alex Mihm (drums, loops, percussion) and Sean Will (keys, synths, trumpet, samples) broke these shackles to record a more experimental sound. As the three spent more time working together, it became clear they these new more experimental myriad of ideas would never have survived the democratic process of a six-piece group and as a consequence of this Brown Shark, Red Lion was born.
The first of the records gems, and there are some, arrives with Rein, White Sun a emotively charged, beautifully arranged mantra that captures Korkidis’s smooth vocal range particularly well. This flows effortlessly into the next track Brown Shark, Red Lion, a laid back, rolling affair that could not have happened had Eksi Ekso existed with larger numbers. With this track the trio have somehow managed to expand its sound by refining it which is something that must take a lot of work to achieve. The Pilot and the Pod also stands out, even if at times the vocals are eerily reminiscent of a youthful Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music. The albums closer Black Sea Accomplice ends proceedings in magnificent style, all sumptuous strings, chanted vocals rising to perfectly composed freefall before flickering out to the sound of a solo violin.
Overall the inconsistency of the album as a whole does take away from what Eksi Ekso have attempted to do with Brown Shark, Red Lion. When it’s good the album is very good alas when its not there is a sense of mediocrity and chances wasted or spurned.
This said however, this is the first release from the new, streamlined Eksi Ekso and if the band learn from this, improve it and grow Brown Shark, Red Lions follow up could turn into something quite majestic.
