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Which CDs should you sink your cash on this month? Liselle reviews the latest releases, plus gets the inside story from the boys of Eskimo Joe about their new album.

While their name may be as politically incorrect as Eskimo lollies and pies, Eskimo Joe (and no they don’t have any plans to do a swap-a-roo to Inuit) are back on the block with a new, and very different, album. A lot has changed since the release of their last hit album, Black fingernails, Red Wine, including the addition of kids to the Eskimo Joe family. Guitarist Joel Quartermain dished the goss - for more insider goodies check out all the behind the scenes action from the filming of their new video here.



Your sound has moved in a bit of a different direction, what elements do you think will still appeal to older fans, and what’s on there for new ones?
I think there’s still an essence of Eskimo Joe in the record. People who listen to it say it’s really different but you can still hear the essence which we think is really important; if we totally lost it we would probably lose a lot of our old following. As for new fans, we just keep trying to write as good songs as we can.

How has the addition of children into the mix, courtesy of your band mates, impacted on the band?
It’s definitely impacted on the music. Last album was very dark and brooding. It was coming from a darker place, which was maybe where we were at in our lives. At the moment we’re all in relationships that we’re very happy and committed to and all in a good place. The kids are the peak of that.

In the spirit of New Zealand music month, who’s your favourite kiwi artist at the moment?
LadyHawke... every time I hear her on the radio I want to drive fast.

New releases hitting the shelves in May

Murs Murs for President: The best thing to come out of hip hop in a while, this is an ambitious album that leaves the bling at the door and takes things back to their roots. With signature old school soul samples, thoughtful lyrics about politics and love, and swift rhymes, this is a classic Murs concoction with the added bonus of a few famous names - Snoop Dogg, will.i.am and Tyler Woods. While still a patchy album in places, and falling short somewhat next to his previous releases, Murs still banks in with his charm, honesty and ability to maintain the balance between street swagger and humbleness. It’s unpretentious, it’s approachable, it’s not perfect, but don’t let that stop you from picking it up.

Keri Hilson In a Perfect World... This album has been a long time coming, but has it been worth the wait? In a Perfect World starts off with promise; flirtatious, slick and catchy tracks filled with diva antics and booty shakin’ beats. Keri’s fresh attitude becomes lost in the weaker second half with downtrodden ballads which are hopelessly dreary without any real standout moments. Uniformly it’s great; Keri has a sturdy voice and this album is on the large part, pretty solid. What is lacking is a bit more personality to really make her really stand out.

Eskimo Joe Inshalla: Translated into God willing, Inshalla is the sign of a new, and more positive, reinvention for Eskimo Joe. With a Middle Eastern influence on a couple of the tracks and a less-is-more attitude towards song writing, the result is a different direction with the constant being some good, honest pop tracks; a more stripped-bare Eskimo Joe, in both sound and content. The result is something solid, although unfortunately also a little unmemorable in places. Released June 1.

WIN: We've got three copies of Inshalla to give away! Click on the 'I Want to Win' button at the bottom of the page to go in the draw...

Various Artists The Great New Zealand Songbook: The Music: This is an album full of celebration. The perfect album to get into the spirit of New Zealand music month, the perfect album to reacquaint  yourselves with and enjoy some of our older classic kiwi tracks right up to some of the latest chart toppers and the perfect album to pay homage to some of our most standout artists. This is a record that is both an excellent listen and packed full of kiwi pride.

A two disc set comprising of both this century’s and last century’s hit kiwi tracks, you will be treated to some of New Zealand’s finest including  Split Enz, The Exponents, Supergroove, Tiki Taane, Hollie Smith and LadyHawke among many, many others.

WIN: We're giving away two deluxe editions of The Great New Zealand Songbook as well as two copies of the CD here...

Boh Runga Right Here: Proving she hasn’t lost the knack for tasty tunes since her days as the gutsy front woman of Stellar*, Boh Runga returns with a more stripped-back album of poppy goodness. The hooks are a plenty and the tunes are easy going, the album slick and radio-friendly. Though slightly formulaic in places, Boh’s effortless vocals, sweet melodies and catchy tunes make this a definitive album in all its pop-rock grandeur and a stellar return from one of NZ’s much loved.

Ciara Fantasy Ride: Uber-hottie Ciara is back with another album that has been a while in the works (thanks to six months of delays and leaks). Switching between aggressive baselines, sexy synths and slow jams, Ciara is at her best when she’s getting her groove on but when the tempo drops, so does she. Fantasy Ride aims to be more stylistically diverse, while in the process sacrificing some much-needed coherency. There’s a couple of duds, ‘Like a Surgeon’ for one, an epic fail with its kinda creepy sexual metaphors, the usual collaborators popping in for their cameos – JT, Ludacris, Chris Brown, Young Jeezy, The-Dream and Missy Elliot - and some good old club bangers. What it’s missing is any real career highlights.

Liselle

Like the sound of Eskimo Joe's new album Inshalla? We're giving you the chance to be one of the first in New Zealand to hear it (it's not released until June 1!) - enter below for your chance to win one of three copies!