The gypsy punk pioneers are back with their 10th studio album that dropped just today! Being their first release since 2022, as well as myself being a big fan of the band and style in general, meant there was no way I wasn’t giving this my full attention. I’ve been hyped for it for a while, and the singles so far have been great! Without further ado, let’s dive in!
The title track opens things up fantastically, an almost tribal chant leading a surprisingly heavy riff. The fiddle still adds plenty of folk elements to it, though the production is massive and the futuristic voice hints at something bigger. The verse is great and the chorus, while simple, is infectiously catchy and will go down a storm live with the call-and-response vocals. Speaking of the vocals, the lyrics are fantastic, calling out the current climate of the world in perfect punk fashion. And, instrumentally, everyone is working their ass off, crafting something perfectly chaotic and punky and folky and heavy all in the best ways. This is ‘gypsy punk’ at its very finest, and an excellent way to open the album!
The pace slows a little with ‘Life is Possible Again’, having a slight post-punk/industrial feel with the heavy emphasis on drums. The backing vocals are a big highlight of the track, making so much of it feel massive and so very catchy. It definitely has more of a pop-vibe to it than the heavier previous track, but both feel distinctly Gogol Bordello; doing their own thing in a way only they can. I love that they really let the instruments do the talking too, everyone getting a chance to shine throughout each track. Another incredible song, and a big early high point!
‘No Time for Idiots’ keeps the steadier pace of the last track but definitely ups the punk and the folk vibes. The whole track seems to build up to and around that incredible chorus, clearly written to be played to huge crowds around the world. It again feels more radio-friendly a track, maybe because it just made me want to dance throughout! It’s a simple track but a damn fun one, and one I am desperate to see live!
Single and ridiculously titled ‘Hater Liquidator’ feels very Gogol, and I mean that as the uttermost of compliments! It almost has a halloween-esque feeling with the opening riff, immediately setting things off in a quirky direction. Then we get the fun, polka verse and the pure punk chorus, some ‘la’s over the top of the melody after for good measure. And once again, the backing vocals putting emphasis on a few lines in the verses, as well as jumping in in the choruses, make it all feel massive, really feeling like the big gang of a band it is. It drops down for a great little bridge, only making the chorus feel even bigger when it builds back up to it. It’s an incredibly fun song and it’s easy to see why it was picked as a single. It’s one that easily makes our playlist!
‘Boiling Point’ is one of three tracks on the album to feature a guest. All of them are amazing songs, and completely different, complimenting the features perfectly. ‘Boiling Point’ is a slower, acoustic number, having elements of dark folk as well as the traditional Ukranian sound they do so well. And, Grace Bergere’s vocal harmonies were honestly beautiful throughout it. Meanwhile ‘From Boyarka to Boyaca’ features its guest Puzzled Panther a little more prominently, here getting some awesome solo vocal lines. The pace of the track is a bit up and down, the dynamics being fantastic.
Finally, album closer ‘Solidarity’, is an epic, electronica-infused track, and Bernard Sumner adds so much with his vocals. It’s an incredible track made in… well… solidarity… with Eugene’s home nation, and it’s hard not to feel the emotion with every word. It honestly gave me goosebumps, and how this isn’t an absolutely massive track is beyond me. It felt different to the rest of the album too, though that may have been Nick Launay’s mix. All three are incredible tracks, but yeah, the latter is definitely a huge highlight of the album as a whole, and one I would urge anyone to check out. It also closes the album on suitably grandiose fashion!
Back to the band’s solo stuff, ‘Ignition’ is glorious Europop-infused gypsy punk. It’s yet another damn fun track. Then you have the likes of ‘Mystics’ and ‘State of Shock’ are massive, almost metal-infused songs. The violin is a big focus of both, which was excellent, and almost made the latter feel like a Bond song at times. It also gave vague Biffy vibes; two very different styles, I know! All are great songs in their own right, but also fit in with the theme and vibe of the album pretty perfectly!
The other two tracks on the album, ‘We did Good…’ and ‘Crayons’ are also bangers, honestly. Again, they very much keep up the gypsy punk vibe the band are known for, but both feel different in their own right. And, both are a lot of fun, while also having pretty fantastic, emotion-filled lyrics. While both are more ‘album-tracks’, they are not to be skipped, and definitely help to make this album one to listen to from front to back if and when you get the chance.
Overall: This is an excellent release! Every song is amazing, while some I’d honestly put up there with the bands best. And, as an album as a whole, it matches up alongside Super Taranta! or even Gypsy Punks itself. It’s a lot of fun and blends together every influence the band has into a fantastic melting pot of punk, polka and rock, much like the band themselves. I’ll certainly be spinning this a lot moving forward, and is a must-listen for anyone even slightly interested!
The Score: 9/10