Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Siddharta
Label: Nika Records
Release: 2015
Runtime: 41:32
Rating: 3.5/5
Siddharta are considered one of the most popular rock bands on home Slovenian soil. Ever since their debut »Id«. The sixth studio album, titled »VI«, came out four years ago. But between 2011 and 2015 the guys were anything but idle. By this year they’d put together a whopping 20 new songs. The first half of the year has rolled by, and Siddharta decided to release the first half of those tracks. The second follows at the end of the year. So yet another Siddharta studio record is coming out this year.
The new album? At first blush, on pure gut feeling, it’s a “bullseye” — it feels like Siddharta are setting off from the album »Saga« back toward their own songwriting roots. That’s why it was recorded at home again, in their own studio and under the production baton of Dejan Radičević, who produced their studio debut »Id«. Infra is an extremely melodic, let’s rather say musical, album. It hunts for a defined melody that slips under your skin in an instant. It hunts for that recognizable solemnity of arrangements, shaped by Siddharta’s signature element of melancholy. »Infra« is therefore a cautious album. It grabs for the tried and tested, the “homegrown” (the already familiar), and at the same time it’s very effective and convincing, even if you shouldn’t go looking for creative breakthroughs on it.
The album’s first three singles, Dios, Do konca and Onna, already announce the band’s urge to chase grabby melodiousness, while the fourth, Ledena, released at the start of this June as the first single to introduce the album, is a shot straight back to the period when the first three albums were made. The album’s fifth track, Da Sedere, carries one of its catchiest chorus melodies, thanks also to Tomaž’s keyboard arrangements, which add a symphonic reach of expression to the song. Had it come out in the era of the albums »Rh -« and »Nord«, it would probably be a Siddharta evergreen today. Love Love is a definite candidate for yet another single, if Siddharta plan to pick songs for that purpose from the album that, like Ledena, more obviously pull toward the band’s early period.
Phatyuppie, woven into the middle, and Gianna, at the very tail end of the album, bring the biggest experimental departure, with an element of unpredictable twists among the leading motifs. These are the two most interesting songs on the album, showing the band’s artistic maturing and a restrained willingness to try something different, something new. Evolution must not stop, even if this album carries a moment of nostalgia and glances back at works from the start of their career.
All the typical elements of Siddharta’s uniqueness are retained in the songs. The arrangements hold up. The songs are strong in what they say and ignite convincingly. The contrasts among the building blocks of Siddharta’s sound are optimally spread across the sonic picture, which keeps plenty of organic feel, or aliveness. The first magnet remains Tomi once again, with his unique vocal approach, by now thoroughly adopted by the nation. The guy enchants again with exceptional emotional immersion, placing emotion into every last corner of this album. The core of the soundscape and its grabby moods and atmospheres is formed by a massive wall of guitar phrases, Primož’s rational yet igniting contribution of minimalist guitar embellishments, and of course the high-soaring trills of Tomaž’s effective use of Nord keyboards. The latter once again walk a very skillful tightrope between maintaining high musicality on one side and pinches of improvisation on the other. The rhythm section remains indispensable in action and adds an extremely contrasting framework to the overall sound, leaving you with the final feeling that »Infra« breathes live — proof of effective perception and chemistry that works and keeps growing among the band members.
»Infra« is the point in their career where Siddharta glanced back at the past for a moment. After, hand on heart, the not exactly convincing predecessor »VI«, the guys needed an album with a clearly defined musical sensibility, even if the aura of the new album comes across as retro-nostalgic because of it. One thing’s for sure. A solid run of songs from »Infra« will work much better at upcoming shows alongside the iron-clad repertoire of the band’s recognizable ultra hits than the songs of the previous album did. And one more thing. »Infra« is just one stop in the band’s evolution. I believe the eighth studio album, the successor to »Infra«, due before the end of this year, will bring a heftier dose of creative daring and a push into discovering new horizons, still uncharted for the band. Until then, let’s enjoy a very beautiful, ultra-melodic album, »Infra«.
Lineup
Tomi M. – vocals, guitar
Primož B. – guitar, backing vocals
Tomaž O. R. – keyboards, backing vocals
Jani H. – bass guitar, backing vocals
Boštjan M. – drums
Production
Dejan Radičevič
Tracklist
01. Dios (04:16)
02. Do Konca (03:53)
03. Onna (04:04)
04. Ledena (04:39)
05. Da Sedere (03:58)
06. Phatyuppie (03:43)
07. Diamanti (05:04)
08. Love Love (02:57)
09. Piknik (05:01)
10. Gianna (03:45)
