Ewert and the Two Dragons relish under high expectations

12 January 2012

Estonia. Not the type of country that would make your ears tingle with excitement. Perhaps their candidates for the Eurovision Song Contest would, but the last time a band from Estonia made waves at Eurosonic? Ewert and the Two Dragons for one, has the potential to make it far. They have the deft songcraft, the experience plus a strong vocalist at their disposal.

CONCERT


Ewert and the Two Dragons, Eurosonic, Spieghel Up, wednesday january 11th 2012

MUSIC
Scandinavian tinged pop-rock comparable to Friska Viljor and the more folky ventures of Alamo Race Track. Vocally, the Estonian band (from Talinn to be exact) sounds a bit like Damien Rice and Gonzalez. On paper quite the combination, not?

PLUS


And this holds true. Last year, the band released the album Good Man Down. Recently, it was removed from Spotify, perhaps a sign we'll see a European release in the near future. The bands repertoire explores both infectious chart-sensitive pop songs and more elaborate folky stuff. Sporadically the band goes all out with energetic percussion, catchy synths and serpentine guitar solo's. The bands affinity with americana is evident,  often the case with Baltic bands. European bands using slide guitar or banjo may quickly sound clichéd, corny or downright comical, but somehow Ewert and the Two Dragons get away with it gracefully. Perhaps it's the Sovjet-cowboyblood running through their veins. The star of the band is Ewert himself. He has a gorgeous, pleasant voice which he conjures without resorting to cheap gimmicks.

MINUS


Not all the songs are as crafty and cleverly composed as the hit single (In The End) There's Only Love. Some songs float around with no clear direction, making the bands' mantra's and prudish vocal harmonies slightly agitating. Stripe master Frits Spits would fancy a tune like Jolene, but it's quite expendable here.

CONCLUSION

Perhaps Ewert and the Two Dragons will be called Mumford & Sons-lite in the near future. Take away the empty pathos, add a bit of gusto and rhythm and Ewert and the Dragon could become a hot commodity. Obviously the band has alot of experience under their belt when it comes to playing live. They're ready for a European release.



GRADE 


7,5

Foto: Sanderbaks.com