Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Margins, The
Label: Self-released
Released: 2017
Running time: 35:45
Rating: 4.5/5
»There are “the boys from the margins” on the horizon, and they’re consumed by a “beautiful madness”! That is, a zest for life, untamed energy, a hunger to affirm whatever, you know, the stuff youthful craziness generates! In this case, by way of making their own music! So here they are: The Margins! Judging by what they’ve shown with a near-professional and fiercely committed promo campaign that accompanied the past year’s activity around the release of their studio debut »Bella Insania«, there’s not much else to say except that The Margins are a hugely ambitious new Slovenian-Croatian lineup, tackling every move with a bubbling urge to prove themselves. The Margins are a relatively young band, but with the debut »Bella Insania« they confirm their perfectionism, and not just the talents these guys are basically armed with. The Margins are, bluntly and roughly put, an alternative rock group that carries the legacy of Britpop and post-Britpop into their own music for new times, but with a clear garage-sound component, where the roar of the guitars, in a multitude of unleashed decibels, is by no means reined in. In short: indie rock culture. In Slovenian terms, though the “Slovenian” part is actually already outgrown on this band’s debut alone So? Franz Ferdinand, Mando Diao and Kaiser Chiefs spring to mind. The Margins don’t bother with programmed loops and synthesizing in a fussy way; they let the guitars have free rein, and what holds you is the daring, potent “drive” and the unadulterated rock’n’roll energy “flux” of the album »Bella Insania«.
For a while, the coastal band Eskobars kicked around in this direction here, though I don’t know what’s currently going on with them. Well, the Prekmurje-Međimurje band The Margins deliver the familiar answer in this regard with »Bella Insania«. And it’s unbelievable. The debut is finished so deftly and masterfully that it can already hold its own against the group’s musical contemporaries on the international scene. »Bella Insania« sounds truly “British”. Even though it courts MTV’s favor and has all the makings of possible commercial success, it doesn’t address the listener with even a hint of overbearing, “sugary” pushiness. The album is a genuine reflection of the natural evolution that The Margins have gone through, and the band along with it.
The composing is finished, and so is the sound treatment, polished to perfection. The album sounds live and organic, the building blocks of the sonic picture are nicely contrasted, and in that dialogue and sonic symbiosis they skillfully underline the partly “garage” nature of the record, where the stuffed-full guitar posing sparkles, while the compositions also reach high musicality and pomp (bombast), which gets the album under your skin instantly, from the first spin in the CD player. On the other hand, the album is adorned by a component of modern sound-production touches, which adds a touch of art perfectionism to the record (e.g. the song Loudspeaker). The bass is thick, wound-up and contrastingly emphasized, and so it holds up more than a worthy counterweight to the guitar phrases, which, as said, don’t skimp on the dose of unleashed decibels of tattered, rock-distorted origin. The vocals are authoritative, stamped with character, distinctive, and wrapped up extremely deftly in the meter of the English verses. They address the listener with a sheen of dominance and great self-confidence. Very “British”. The rhythms are simple. Driving! The band also adds to all this sonic spectrum the spice of programmed loops (special effects), which broadens the sonic picture itself and deepens the theatricality of the tracks, that is, their mood range! In this regard, the album develops very dynamically. From the first to the last second of its play.
The band approaches things wholeheartedly. With that heart, The Margins rise above possible associations with already-delivered inventions in the genre sphere they occupy. In fact, The Margins don’t burden themselves with what others are doing; they strictly focus only on what passion, emotion and the inspiration of the given moment dictate! The album consequently expresses a lovely range of artistic freedom and creative ease, along with freshness and artistic daring, and hands the listener the dossier of a young group that breathes with full lungs and looks to its future victoriously. The debut boasts exceptional artistic focus, a worked-out musical vision, and extremely penetrating compactness in the composing of nine original tracks, adorned by excellent sound production. An album that can serve as a bright example to similar bands on the Slovenian alternative rock and indie rock scene, and an album that knocks loudly on the door of the international scene. At the same time, it’s an album the band can be extremely proud of. And this is only the cornerstone of its discography, which, let’s hope, will with such heart go on to grow artistically richer and broaden developmentally in the future.
Lineup
Aljaž Gyurica – vocals, guitar
Patrik Jambrošič – guitar
Luka Ščavničar – bass guitar
Jože Horvat – drums
Production
Denis Horvat & The Margins
Track list
1. Continental
2. That’s Gonna Happen
3. Loudspeaker
4. Let’s Go
5. Find Your Way
6, New Wave
7. Goodbye My Friend
8. Auro
9. Red
