Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Antioksidanti
Label: Self-released
Release: 2015
Duration: 36:45
Rating: 4/5
Antioksidanti are a rock band from Ajdovščina that has been active since 2009. »Parfum in plastika« is their studio debut, packing 10 original tracks of short, punchy rock. The songs have a healthy dose of musical catchiness and are efficiently “pepped up” with just the kind of energy payoff a rock ‘n’ roll record demands. »Parfum in plastika« also carries a tangible message, a reflection of the moral and spiritual plundering of Slovenian society in 2015!
The guys get to the point fast in their songs. No complications, in fact they don’t want any, their musical track record doesn’t call for it, and doesn’t need it! The Slovenian lyrics are neatly steered through the meter, so the lead motifs keep the dynamic flow they need. The guitars are simple in form and minimal in action, yet they fill out the backdrop of the sonic picture with great effect, and on top of it sits a vocal that’s convincingly delivered and lived-in! The guitars are smartly mixed in with short, clearly crafted, punchy moves and tricks (the solos are built on a handful of notes “soaked” in thick wah-wah and other effects trickery). Rational and effective. Even in the lead phrases themselves, the two guitars are often thickened for contrast (and, where needed, gently smeared with harmonies) using stereo chorus and reverb. The bass lines deftly make use of all the empty space that opens up and, in their playfulness, bring an everywhere-present “groove” leveler to the overall sound. The track Spet sami stirs up the fury of a punk ID card, which the band otherwise dispenses in milder doses across pretty much the whole album. For orientation, let me point out that Antioksidanti are not the type of cheerfully proclaimed garage hackers. Their rock’n’roll paradigm is better tied to the work of Big Foot Mama or early Dan D (the choruses of 27. April and Trenutek z mano). Stylistically it’s a typical Slovenian rock product, always timely for heavy rotation on Slovenian radio stations. The band doesn’t wrap its message in metaphors, and that directness shakes out a genuine feeling of rebellious anger, fueled by the courage of unadulterated, honest songwriting heart.
Antioksidanti’s strength is that the band has strong “songwriters” in the lineup, who know how to build a composition into an effective mix of musicality and energy payoff, with no room for naivety or saccharine slips that would push things toward pop! It will be interesting to see where the band goes from here. There’s definitely still plenty of room in the songwriting to build on, develop and expand. So already on their debut of original material the band is developing a healthy form of melodically infectious rock, and you can even catch a hint of indie here and there (Moderno je eko). The biggest attraction of this record, though, is the lyrics, which say it straight out, no holding back, that smack in the middle of the Valley of Šentflorjan we’ve become birds without a nest.
Lineup
Erik Jež – vocals
Andraž Žvokelj – guitar
Grega Marc – guitar
Darjan Brus – bass guitar
Gal Furlan – drums, backing vocals
Production
Aljoša Todorovič
Track list
1. V kleti Evrope (3:49)
2. Na 1. strani
3. 27. April
4. Lisica
5. Lutke
6. Dvojka
7. Trenutek z mano
8. Moderno je eko
9. Spet sami
10. Noč tišine
