Reviews

No Pasaran

City Skyline Jarocin ’88 LP reissue

This reissue is by Polish band CITY SKYLINE, and might just be what your record collection is missing. Angst-ridden vocals riding upon groove-heavy punk rock with more than just a hint of melancholic emotions creates a sound that is captivating and addictive. With rhythm shifts that range from swift punk to swinging rock’n’roll, each song has an individual vibe, but they all coalesce into a very particular sound that is brimming with desolation. Vocals are snarly and often include the entire group, but not in the gang vocal sort of way—it’s different. CITY SKYLINE produced a decisively one-of-a-kind product that is difficult to compare to others, and it’s most certainly worth a listen.

Rozkrock Tche Best Jee Panko Polo 2xLP

I imagine there is an audience for this Czech band’s 1999 album, but it’s not me. The tracks are more dance than punk, with repetitive, skittery techno beats and tinny, distorted guitar on top. It sounds very dated, and with some of the songs running past the five and six-minute mark, they become tiresome. The lyrics may be amazing (I don’t know—I don’t have a copy of them to translate), but the music is pretty bad. If you told me this had a low-level major label distro deal in 1999 and the band made a mark at outdoor European festivals, I would totally believe you. ROZKROCK fans only for this one.

V/A Najmłodsza Generacja 2xLP

This 22-band compilation album of current Polish post-punk is a continuation of one originally released in 1986. It features never-before-released material by fledgling bands and documents a developing new wave scene. This compilation highlights a variety of sounds on a spectrum extending from melodic, avant-garde rock to dark-tinged, minimalist post-punk. Each of the bands enshrined in this collection displays their singular aural presence while the collection accentuates a striking cohesion. The gatefold 2xLP features a 24-page book archiving the scene’s existence. This collection is a great entry point into the Eastern European underground.