Rating: NN
Before the Weeknd, there was Esthero. The Toronto singer was a forerunner of the space-filled, hip-hop-indebted soul being made by a gaggle of kids these days, including the Weeknd’s Abel Tesfaye, Rochelle Jordan and Quadron.
Esthero’s first album, Breath From Another – made with Doc McKinney, who now produces Tesfaye – wasn’t a commercial success, but the quiet verve of singles Heaven Sent and That Girl made it a breakout record in 98. Despite being the template for the Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie and working on Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak, Esthero has struggled to replicate that early success.
Her third album, Everything Is Expensive, is a tepid, confused palette for a musician who displayed a fierce individuality in the past. Esthero’s vocals, a national treasure as distinct and heavy with mood as Feist’s, remain mesmerizing. But they deserve better backing, something less ersatz soul and more suited to her chameleonic delivery.
Top track: Everything Is Expensive (The Kids Are Not Alright)
