Artist: Real Life Version
Label: Self-released
Release: 2013
Rating: 3.5/5
The Sound of Progress is the second of two releases in the discography of Ajdovščina band Real Life Version. Socially critical lyrics, a decisive attitude and a natural sound are just some of the ingredients of the “sound of progress”. At first glance, the album already stands out for its artwork. The fresh, nicely detailed design grabs your eye and complements what’s hiding under the cover.
What’s hiding on the record itself is a collection of well-thought-out arrangements, whose common thread runs clearly through the whole musical ramble. The post-punk mood is occasionally punctuated by technically polished instrumental nuances of a more progressive nature. You can feel the latter in the rhythmic breaks too, where the band plays around with different time signatures. The combination of a confident rhythmic foundation and a direct melodic side sounds raw, yet still natural. Of course, there’s the occasional bit of arrangement ballast, like the intro to the opener Straitjacket; without the frills, the song would have gained a punchier kickoff. Even so, the band’s sound gives the listener a good dose of energy without beating around the bush.
The sound quality differs from the Ajdovščina band’s first release mainly in its dynamics and in the development of its own sound. The consistency of the sound across the record (like the roomy, present drums, the fat bass guitar, the guitars with attitude and the overall balance) adds up to a very healthy sonic picture. Healthy above all in terms of dynamics; the songs aren’t wrung dry of their essence as victims of the loudness war, but tastefully detailed and full. Now and then the vocals get flooded by a wave of instrumental firewater, upsetting the balance between the instruments and the vocals. The band struggled with a similar issue on their debut, but on The Sound of Progress Jani J.’s vocals are much more present in the overall sound. And his distinctive timbre adds even more flavor to the socially critical lyrics..
The songs are sung exclusively in English with slight slips in diction; but just like the arrangement ballast, the slips are more of an artistic added value than an overlooked flaw. The lyrics fit the wall of sound, moving in the spheres of social critique, self-discovery and identity crisis in the modern world. The song Identities Commodified shows the paradox of punk culture in today’s world; a movement that rebels against the mainstream becomes a fashion accessory of it.
The Sound of Progress may not exactly capture the evolution of the Ajdovščina alternative scene, but it definitely points to Real Life Version’s healthy attitude toward the band as a collective. It’s also worth mentioning that the band was responsible for most of the creative process (from the concepts to the recording process and the mixing phase), and you can feel it in the final product. The record is honest, natural, healthy; a step forward from the teenage quasi-American angst-adolescent era and closer to a truly mature album.
Lineup
Jani Jez – guitar, vocals
Aljoša Todorovič – guitar
Jani Peljhan – bass, vocals
Nejc Franca – drums, vocals
Luka Curk – sound engineer
Production
Real Life Version
Tracklist
1. Strait Jacket
2. Idenitites Commodified
3. Down To Zero
4. Sincerely Yours
5. All’s Fair In Love
6. Welcome Insanity
7. Suicidal Note
8. 5040
9. Without Giving Up
