You will long forget why the Latvian garage rock duo is called “Suns Skrien” and even more will forget why the number “1” is attached to this running dog (no, there is no group called “Suns Skrien 2”), but that is also understandable – this formation exists since 2013, but only now gathered the strength to release a debut album.
Vocalist/guitarist Krists Dadzītis (also plays music in the group “Krāsa”) and drummer Kristaps Kukša (“VIPP Basbočka”, “Mechanical Orange”) have joined the duo. “Due to its simplicity and energy, this record could be placed in the category of garage rock, although we don’t consider ourselves to be representatives of one particular genre,” think “running dogs”. “There’s no denying that the record stands out for its simplicity, thanks to foreign influences like The White Stripes and The Black Keys. Unlike our foreign influences in music writing, we write the lyrics in our native language. We think that when performing songs in the native language, the thought can be expressed more safely, without fear of getting lost in translation.” Smart words, for some reason many other Latvian rock musicians haven’t “got it” yet?!
Part of the album was written in the “Gateris” studio, and the rest “in relaxed conditions” in the rehearsal room, mixed by oneself, but mastered by “KS Records”. These “relaxed conditions” are felt, but it belongs to garage rock – it would be strange if the representatives of this style sounded “frozen” and sterile. A total of seven tracks, of which the stylish bluesy and rockingly electrified “Think, speak, sing, shout” and the title song are crowned as the best, while the energetic “Paranoia” will “fire up” the audience well at concerts. The instrumental “Below zero” is also elegant, in which the musicians, as far as can be felt, express themselves in the absolute joy of “jamming”. A song like “Minor Blues” could be done without, if only the guitarist once more wanted to demonstrate his mastery of the game, which can also be felt quite well in other pieces…
All in all, it’s good, just one question – why “Suns Skrien 1” couldn’t get angry sooner for its 21st century blues, when this style of music (garage rock) was on the top of the world?!
2023-12-11 17:49:25
#REVIEW #Dog #Runs #century #blues
