Review Summary: First taste of metal.
In hindsight, I should have paid more attention to this EP at the time of its release. But, being an album-oriented person, I only gave it a couple of cursory listens, quickly dismissed it as a stop-gap release, and got back to waiting for a proper LP. Looking back, I think the importance of this release can only be understood properly in context of the album that followed in 2025, signifying Palindrom’s complete transition to a different sound in comparison with his first three albums.
As such, this EP “The Best Questions to Yourself” is indeed a transitional release. After a thorough exploration of the world of samples and electronic music, Palindrom decides to add the guitars to the mix. Not that they were completely absent before, but they’ve only made sporadic appearance and were mostly sampled. This time, the whole EP was recorded with live instruments. Interestingly enough, this is also Palindrom’s most romantic release with around half of the songs reflecting on love and its peculiarities. Apparently, the guy decided that reflections on romance require heavier sound.
This approach is illustrated most clearly in “Saudade” (song No.3), which is a clear cornerstone of the record and the best representation of the sound the artist wanted to achieve. It starts with Palindrom rapping about the current socio-political climate in Ukraine in the context of the ongoing war with Russia and his own stance as an artist and a citizen of his country, all this put against a reserved background of synth and saxophone melodies supported by rather restrained drums. At some point, however, the song somehow transitions from socio-political commentary to “kissing on the slopes of Kaiserwald.” And as soon as this transfer from the political to the romantic takes place, the song gets progressively heavier with the guitars fully taking center stage. Moreover, for the last part of the track, the guitars get heavier still and speed up alongside with the drums, while Palindrom switches from clean singing to harsh vocals.
The same dynamics are applied earlier on the opener “How to Stop the Morning,” albeit in a more traditional way. Ethereal melodies dominate the first part of the song, as Palindrom reflects on the joy of spending time with his loved one. However, as the joy gives way to understanding that their time together is limited, the music changes accordingly. Again, the last minute or so of the song is exclusively dominated by the guitars, as the singer desperately intones “Make it stop!” Elsewhere, the song “Captain” utilizes a more straightforward approach to quiet/loud fluctuations with the harsh vocals in the verses giving way to poppier chorus.
These are the songs that shape the EP and define its face. They are interspersed with poppier songs, more traditional for the artist, although most of them still contain heavier parts. However, the transitional nature of the record is clear throughout its whole runtime, as its heaviness is relative and even when the guitars are at the forefront, it seems like they are unsure if they are even supposed to be there. It’s clear that Palindrom is still figuring out his new sound. Luckily, he was able to get a full grip on it for his 2025 album. But that’s a story for another time.
