Artist: Analena
Label: Moonlee Records
Release: 2009
Length: 34:53
Rating: 4/5
“Inconstatinopolis” is the follow-up to “Carbon Based”, which the Zagreb band Analena put out five years ago, and their second in a row for the indie label Moonlee Records. Why we waited so long for a mere 35 minutes of music becomes a pointless question once you actually “dig” into the material.
Analena prove they’re excellent musicians who build on hard-hitting, solid guitar patterns and fill the space effectively with guitars. These are tuned so that they often unleash a rasping, dissonant sound that blankets most of the sonic picture. On top of that, they don’t always play just one phrase. Often (to caricature it a bit) one of the guitars sticks to its own (separate) phrase while the other “rides” a different (its own) motif pattern over it, which can be just bare picking, palm-muted (the verse of the opening track 108: Cedar Calling Down), adding a nice complement to that use of all the available sonic space. It’s precisely this contrast in how the guitars are used that brings an interesting melodic combination to this track, which instantly steers the listener’s full attention to the album “Inconstantinopolis”. That’s supposedly the job of every album’s opener, and Analena nailed it this time.
The rest of the album confirms that Analena write songs that bring a pretty hefty bundle of melody into the basic punk framework via the guitars, melody that could have been even easier on the ears under different circumstances. Instead, they add vocals and vocal combinations that at times get so grating they literally push the music to the edge of listenability. You’ll need nerves of steel to go toe to toe with them. Whether the female vocal is clean, it often seeks out dissonant curves and spills over into screaming, and combined with the male screaming, the music picks up a quality that’s occasionally typical of genres with the “core” suffix. The choruses of Valley Of Things and Off With My Heads carry melodic riff lines that the vocals literally shred with shrieking and punk-style barking attacks, and the music takes on a new, different quality. This interesting combination feels fairly unusual, and on a first listen this “detail” is easy to miss. Heads Or Tails is the moment on the album with the most melody left intact. In the verse, this track uses guitar motifs that even those of you into the much sweeter MTV darlings Editors or Interpol could get on board with. Analena keep the melody in the chorus too, despite using some “screamo” tricks of modern alt design. This track is the friendliest to the ears on the album, and the band might be wise to consider releasing it as a “single” or otherwise trying to “push” it deeper into the market (shooting a video, etc…)
Especially in the calmer “interweaving” of guitar patterns (the verses), Analena often unintentionally brush up against some elements of post-punk rock (Horror Vacui). A voluminous bass line hooks in against that, too, and the music gains in dynamic variety and realness (garage liveliness). Otherwise, the ever-contrasting and arrogantly pulsing rhythm line is sworn to a simple ride of garage thrashing, which builds on the feeling of rawness and liveliness in the songs.
“Inconsantinopolis” is no everyday record you could casually throw into the CD player just to bang your head around. Analena manage to overcome that triviality and, in their sermon, set up a platform to leap to a new level of quality. A level where the songs are structured so that they’ll keep coming back into your ears for a long time and grow with you. And once they crawl under your skin, you end up awfully grateful to “Inconstantinopolis”. Like to a good friend after a selfless favor. A “punk” that keeps rewarding the listener for ages. Analena also have a touch of experimentation. The title track in particular boasts a bigger dose of it. It’s made up of several motif structures that spin out through it, Analena add a touch of spontaneity and unpredictability to it, while making sure the song keeps its thread, its sense and all its integrity throughout.
Analena are absolute oddballs. Hard to compare, and their expression on “Inconstantinopolis” feels fresh, inspired and curious. Roughly speaking, we can call them alternative rock that’s punk at its core, but with detours into hardcore as well as post-punk. But Analena don’t claim a clear genre definition, and that’s hugely exciting, because it means they’ve found their own field of recognizability and uniqueness. “Inconstantinopolis” is a solid step forward for the band. With it, the band keeps up its mocking stance of rebellious, avant-garde punk charm, a playful dose of trash on one side and high intellect on the other. Just 35 minutes of music, written first and foremost for all you alternative-music gourmets who are patient, open-minded and have nerves of steel!
Lineup
Ana
Mijo
Miran
Zet
Track list
1. 108:Cedar Calling Dawn
2. Comic Relief
3. Valley Of Things
4. Off With My Head
5. Horror Vacui
6. Inconstantinopolis
7. City Of Sunday Afternoons
8. Life In Exclamation Marks
9. Heads Or Tails
10. Seven Cakes Of Toilet Soap: An Alternative Ending
