Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Banditi
Label: Nika Records
Release: 2014
Duration: 35:07
Rating: 3.5/5
The second studio album from Idrija punk rock outfit Banditi has been “late” to the scene for a whole year now. The band simply waited that long, hoping some label would take pity on them and put the record out. They finally found their lucky savior in Nika Records. And »Take the Streets« confirms a decisive step forward in maturity, in the songwriting, in the production, and in the sense of tightness and cohesion radiating from the solid, competent delivery of the material, which proves the Banditi lineup has found its inner stability and coherence. The album sounds consistently live, with plenty of garage-style rawness, »biting« and brash. It’s played with fire, and that’s something you can’t ignore, let alone miss.
Banditi carry over the songwriting philosophy from their debut »Society Love Songs«, which means a “less is more” approach, logically shying away from intricately welded motif structures that might come across as experimental. Still, »Take the Streets« delivers a clear step up in maturity. In terms of composition, it also achieves a more concrete variety in the lead motifs that each song on the album is built on, though the guiding principle of the Idrija punk rockers is crystal clear! Hit straight ahead, no mercy, no holding back! Short, to the point, and as direct as it gets!
This is modern punk rock or punk ‘n’ roll, putting Banditi somewhere in the neighborhood of bands like Zablujena generacija, Nove konzerve,… Within the trivial chord setup of the lead phrases and motifs they develop a solid dose of melody, and the preserved »party« vibe has more than a little in common with a band like Green Day.
The band has also given the lyric writing a serious overhaul, and the verses hit much harder in the songs this time. There’s also a noticeable “awakening” of the guys to the reality of living in the embrace of »Slovenian morbidity«. So this time around Banditi point the finger far more sharply at the thugs responsible for the far-from-rosy future our country offers its young people, one in which they could hardly prosper and live a decent human life. The tracks roll into one another and the album’s 11 songs keep up a consistent dynamic. Tacked onto the end of the album is another song, Ruski Vohun, originally by Niet. It’s played in »Banditi style«, with Borut Marolt (Niet) singing a duet with Matej Alič, and Robert Likar (Niet) adding guitar. Matej has matured vocally too and stepped up his delivery. That goes for the meter of fitting the English verses into the songs’ motif structures as well.
The album is shot through with a very consistent production of well-judged contrasts between its building blocks. The contrast between the searing guitar riffs and the kinetics of the rhythm section is especially well developed. »Take the Streets« is a punk rock record that wins you over fast and doesn’t uncover any revolutionary musical feats. Demanding something like that from a band in the genre sphere where they operate would be almost unfair. So »Take the Streets« is an album of tangible punk rock swagger, with the “party time” element intact, seasoned with a generous helping of musicality. One of the most successful songs with just the right dose of these elements is Break It, for example. That’s why the album has an infectious quality that works from the very first listen, which was also one of the band’s goals. Because they sing in English, there’s a spot-on risk that with Banditi you’ll “hear something you’ve already heard”. But in the end that doesn’t even matter. The band has made a nice, competent album that shows a step up in maturity. And that’s what counts, since it opens even more doors for them onto concert stages in Slovenia and abroad.
Lineup
Matej Alič – vocals
Blaž Pavšič – guitar, backing vocals
Aleš Golja – guitar
Blaž Tratnik – bass guitar
Jernej Zajc – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Borut Marolt – vocals on track no. 12
Robert Likar – guitar on track no. 12
Kristjan Jeretina – backing vocals
Production
Damjan Pančur
Tracklist
1. Take the Streets
2. New Tomorrow
3. Hopes And Dreams
4. The Longest Road
5. Money
6. Shout
7. Break
8. The Day
9. Walk Away
10. Distress
11. Failed Sociey
12. Ruski vohun (bonus track)
