In their recent single, “Cold Jean Blues,” ESSK and friends deliver soft-shoed late-night misery. This slow blues ballad is a poignant lament of pursuit and longing, a portrait of a man caught in the grip of a woman who is both enchanting and elusive, her gaze cold, her being distant, so that he wanders through shadowy corridors, surrounded by the long silence of yearning and regret.
The guitar sets a tone, each string vibrating with acute poignancy in accordance with the storyline. The singing has a smoky closeness, as if from the murk of some corner in a bar, but it draws music fans to a place where love is ice-cold. The recording is conscious, too, letting every note ring through to underscore the song’s filmic depiction of lonely nights.
“Cold Jean Blues” is not just a story but something that surrounds you. Here, one can feel the chill of love gone cold, the force of memories that persist, although its present counterpart has withered. ESSK and friends have fashioned a sound that is timeless yet futuristic, rooted in the past while looking to tomorrow.
It is a lingering piece, hanging in the empty corners of the ear. It’s a work of chef-kiss perfection, with an atmosphere, storytelling, and sentiment that evoke the feeling of being in love, likely also suffering a broken heart, or appreciating the near-supernatural match between guitar and voice when it’s in the right hands.
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