ALBUM REVIEW: Solidaritine – Gogol Bordello
Eugene Hütz and his cavalcade of enigmatic musicians have kept up a consistent pelt of GOGOL BORDELLO albums over the last couple of decades. In that time, GOGOL BORDELLO effectively spearheaded a fusion of traditional Romani and Ukrainian folk with the DIY attitude and energy of punk, in the process developing a unique voice in the world of rock. It’s a voice that has always been characterised by the plight of the underdog and their latest effort, Solidaritine, is no different. For better and for worse, the band are fully entrenched in the musical niche they’ve carved out for themselves. Commendably and understandably defiant in the face of what’s happening in Hütz’s homeland of Ukraine, their ninth album continues the band’s legacy of punching up. But from the opener of Shot Of Solidaritine onwards, it’s clear that GOGOL BORDELLO have a bit more bite in them this time round.
Perhaps in part due to the extra thematic intensity, GOGOL BORDELLO have made a very slight shift in musical approach, this time leaning more heavily towards the sharper end of the band’s self-styled “Gypsy punk”. Focus Coin has all the trappings of a GOGOL BORDELLO anthem, mixing Roma swagger with a frantic ska rhythm and fuzzy bludgeonings of distorted guitars. While the flickering clean guitars compete with the roaming bass lines, Hütz frantically rattles off word after word with a spinning energy that’s hard not to be swept up by. Similarly, a cover of FUGAZI’s Blueprint sees the song transformed from post-hardcore in to a pseudo-ska-punk onslaught, its whirling chorus hook becoming a chanted diatribe backed by aggressive accordions. While these tracks are infused with the same swing and melody you’d expect from the transcontinental collective, Imaginary Son doubles down on the aggression and stands out as the most out and out punk moment. The riffs boil over with the heated energy of classic BAD RELIGION and THE OFFSPRING, the track’s power chord pummelling only briefly interrupted by interludes of plucked strings.
While the rest of Solidaritine might not prove quite as chaotic as the aforementioned cuts, the band’s seething energy is palpable all the same. Knack For Life crawls on its belly with the menace of a snake in the grass, eventually building into an uneasy sway of a subdued chorus. On the other side of the coin is album highlight Take Only What You Can Carry, the closest thing Solidaritine has to a ballad. The track manages to nestle a romantic duet between hopping accordions and bulldozing power chords, with the female vocals providing a welcome reprieve from Hütz’s one-note (although well affected and often charming) delivery.
At this point in their career, GOGOL BORDELLO aren’t necessarily making any left-field choices. Of course, it’d be easy to argue that’s simply because the whole concept of the band was a left-field choice from the off. There’s an idiosyncrasy to GOGOL BORDELLO’s sound that – while it may overlap with other groups and styles – is wholly their own. It’s also clear that the musical collective still has the same grit and fire in their bellies that they did when they burst on to the scene many years ago. Solidaritine doesn’t see the band expand their admittedly broad horizons, but instead double down on their joyous indignation at the world around them. And in the face of multiple global crises, that oxymoronic approach is oddly fitting and very welcome.
Rating: 7/10
Solidaritine is out now via Cooking Vinyl.
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