Nothing to Say - Ali Eskandarian Album Review

Ali Eskandarian

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Album Review

New Bob Dylan? Not quite, but there's more on offer.

Ali Eskandarian likes to do things nice and laidback, with some style it has to be said.

Oh no, I hear you thinking, not another singer - songwriter. Well they've been around longer than you'd imagine - I won't go into a history lesson right now. New on the scene is a 30 year old American born alt-folk-blues troubadour who's got something really special to offer. Setting him apart is his part American-Iranian upbringing that's fuelled a massive burst of writing. The two key elements of this wonderful album are: accessibility and cutting edge fusions about love, loneliness, travels, and the touchy subject of politics. Comparisons are already being made with early Bob Dylan and Nick Drake, which are pretty darned accurate. The bilateral mix brings thoroughly fascinating results, as he smoothly swings from West to East. Due to his father's political asylum relocation via Germany to Dallas after the Ayatollah Khomeini's death, young Ali absorbed an adolescence of the arts, he moved to New York to pursue his dream in 2003,and on the evidence of this, it's well on it's way to being realised. Along with Grammy-winning producer Rob Freidman (which was a coup) they've meticulously packaged Ali's thoughtful and considered writing/ performance skills.

It's good ol' Americana all the way on Dylan-esque styled opener Waking Up Is Hard To Do, with Bob's subliminal harmonica adding a real rootsy feel while a distant banjo happily sparkles in the shadows, and on Memphis (where he sounds remarkably like Bert Jansch) he becomes even more loved-up to the indigenous country sound. All We Do (Roy Orbison would love this one) is a breathtaking break-up ballad done in a stripped back delivery with cute twanging guitar, and rolling Hammond organ. Skip one, and we get to his low-fi bluesy side - Dangerous Road, which starts with simple acoustic strums, given extra colours by some sublime steel guitar picks by multi-instrumentalist / tweeker Rob Friedman. Eastern flavours merge with folk on the extraordinary Nobody, making it a haunting piece, as he goes for some typical 'wailing' for added effect. Johnny Goes To War is a direct political blasting on American soldiers, in this case 19 year old Johnny from Ohio, who's sure to get killed, or to kill the enemy with a body count of 23 referred to as, '23 Kills'.

And finally, Eastern Fancy. Here he goes for ambience and eastern soundscapes, singing beautifully in his father's mother tongue Farsi - simply stunning.

File under : One to watch. Seriously.

Elly Roberts