Review Summary: Hardly, my dear... hardly, my dear...
I remember a fellow of mine telling me about this emerging Russian indie/post-punk revival band back in 2010, a time when they were hardly discussed by the internet audiences, or so it resembled; I remember not paying too much attention in the first listen, for it wasn't until summer came across when I was casually and inextricably abducted by ghostly silhouettes dancing in half-light and effervescent evocations of love and breezes of air through a dawning sun, whispered confessions of personas diving into a collective subconscious pool, as a turmoil venturing for lyricism, for undefiniteness, unfolding a innocence of purely cut bliss, as in the sweetest memories of youth. And though I am still young and vague, I can't help but feel waves of an equally indefinite nostalgia as I sojourn through the passages of Motorama's debut album Alps, song by song, dancing alone in my room, mildly inebriated; a music which is not innovative neither complex per se, but which has an lax beauty to it, lightweight and enhancing.
Speaking of the strictly musical, Motorama hold a few interesting and group-defining elements to their sound. The weavy, heart-warming guitar of Maxim Polivanov whirring around along with Vladislav Parshin's vocals, imbued with a very personal timber, provide Alps of an agile and distinctive soundscape; not to mention remarkable performaces in both drums and bass. The predominance of the latter instrument is detoned in songs such as Northern Seaside, a moody opener whose tone feels reminiscent of Joy Division and early 80s Manchester acts. Vibes of gracefulness are intertwined in louder, fast-paced tracks (Warm Eyelids, Ghost, Alps, There's No Hunters Here), while wistful feelings are due to pieces like Wind on Her Hair, Letter Home, or the previously quoted Northern Seaside. However, I don't feel like there is any filler in between; every track on this record stands out on its own, and makes up to a solid and thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Alps in an album to dance to, to feel to.
Recommended tracks:
Northern Seaside
Letter Home
Wind in Her Hair
Ghost
Alps
There's No Hunters Here
And yes, this is better than Calendar.
*They all follow, with minor expections, a traditional verse-chorus-verse structure, with negligible variations in sound progression. This is no brainy post-punk by any conceivable means, nonetheless it is obvious that Motorama aren't pretentious about it, and the fact that this doesn't represent a problem to the listener speaks of Motorama's natural success.
