Analena "Carbon Based" CD
[Moonlee]
Hot fuckin' damn!  I gotta say, this Moonlee Records label is onto some hot shit!  I've yet to be disappointed by any of their bands, and a couple of ‘em have really impressed me.  Add Analena to that list above all.  The band is based in Croatia, but the members hail from both Croatia and Slovenia.  Their approach is one rooted in screamo/indie rock kind of stuff, but it's definitely more diverse and intriguing than most of what those classifications would indicate.  For one thing, the lead female vocals work excellently with the backing male vocals, both offering up a wide variety of approaches from different styles of screaming and yelling to fluid singing, speaking, shouting, etc.  The music is also all over the place from jangly chords and softer clean passages to frantic discordance, intense melodies, and a little bit of added heaviness as well.  The most important thing to focus on though is that the songwriting is fucking excellent.  Seriously, I cannot stress to you enough that anyone who listens to this general style should check this band out immediately.  They combine their influences effortlessly and are actually able to create song structures that feel linear and cohesive as well as energetic and catchy - yes, that's right.  They're actually able to make layers of screaming, discordance, and subdued melody come across as pretty damn catchy at times.  They've definitely harnessed that powerful sense of urgency that seems so rare to me these days with this general niche of music.  There's a ton of interaction going on between different guitar lines and the bass parts, and the vocal tradeoffs add to that, especially when you consider how effective the musical backbone is - because they're definitely building on some of the traditional foundations of a few classic bands here, but it's morphed into something that's more their own.  "Carbon Based Organisms" kicks things off right away with one of the most immediately explosive and powerful compositions that perfectly exemplifies the wide range of styles that the band has to offer.  "Notturno" opens a little softer both musically and vocally and kind of carries with it a more openly melodic and flowing sensibility even when the distortion and harsher vocals kick in, while the faster and more upbeat "Spilt Milk" even has a pop-punk kind of element at work!?  Very unexpected... but still a great song, you know?  It fits.  "In Theory and Practice" is another of my favorites.  The chorus is just so fucking intense it hits like a ton of bricks, perfectly blending melody and fierce screaming that really feels sincere and genuine.  Great stuff.  "Rainy Night in Warsaw" is a raw instrumental that closes the disc with some acoustic instrumentation (not necessarily guitars, I'm not sure) and some spoken samples that I'm guessing are in Polish?  A nice ending, for sure.  The sound quality is excellent, too.  That's another thing that has impressed me about these bands coming from Moonlee Records: They've all got really solid recordings.  I don't know how they do it, but I ain't complaining.  Things are a little on the gritty side with this one but that's because there's a ton of layering and they're using a lot of interesting distorted textures that are thick and have a ruggedness to ‘em without coming across as too heavy.  The bass is prominent in the mix and helps add low-end, and the guitars are somehow thick and distorted while still having a ringing edge that makes them sound a little airier than you might expect.  The percussion sounds totally natural, the vocals never overpower the mix no matter how incendiary they become, etc.  They've definitely done well for themselves.  It's a busy mix yet it still sounds intentional and efficient.  The layout looks nice and consists largely of painted imagery with bright colors and faux handwritten type.  The lyrics are your usual explorations of personal issues and the generally tumultuous nature of life, but I actually find the content to be fitting of the music - a little bitter, a little hopeful, not overdramatic, etc.  "Paved with good intentions, still, the world is grey.  We need dream amplifiers to make it louder.  So they can feel it in their bones.  After that count to 10 and all your wishes will come true."  God damn, seriously, I'll go ahead and cap it off with one of my typically over the top proclamations and say flat out that if you listen to any music of this general nature and don't like this CD, you are a complete fucking moron with absolutely no sense or taste whatsoever, and you have no right to listen to music.  Period.  I mean, shit, I don't even listen to that much of this stuff and I'm flipping out over this, I love it.  Buy this now.  This band is fucking awesome. (8/10)
Running time - 34:31, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Carbon Based Organisms, Dream Amplifiers, Notturno, In Theory and Practice]
Moonlee Records - http://www.moonleerecords.com

This review has been displayed 1858 times.