Russian Winters - LastBattles

Sun 9th Oct, 2011 in Music Reviews

How best to describe this debut album? How about comparing it to an actual Russian winter? Never experienced one, but James Bond Goldeneye gives a good enough idea. First adjective – ‘bitter’. This is definitely not a bitter album… or a bleak album… or a cold album either. With grand trumpet blasts, it’s too triumphant for bitterness. And with a considered ten tracks, it’s too accessible to be thought of as bleak. Its major strength lies in its warmth. Mid-tones are the key.

Dave Parkin (Snowman, Jebediah) has done a fine job to pull off a charmingly organic sound. It is a sound that is admittedly a little surprising. Parkin knows how to produce a rock record of course, but listening to releases such as Sugar Army’s Where Do You Hide Your Toys EP (2007) and The Scotch of Saint James’s Vigilante Neck Tie Party (2009), it seemed he had been seduced into taking a slicker approach in recent years. It was a polish that, for this music lover, buffed away the live charm of those two quality acts. Not so with Russian Winters.

Sure the studio shine is there, particularly on the voice, but it creates more of a matte finish than a glossy one. Listen to album opener Race To The Mountains (one of its finest moments) to understand why. Also consider the importance of the track while you’re at it. It is often forgotten just how crucial a record’s first impression is.

Not to be confusing ‘organic’ with ‘vintage’, the release still sounds fresh. The band isn’t lying when they say they sound like ‘us’ on their Unearthed bio. So perhaps the only thing Last Battles has in common with a real Russian winter is that it has a fresh bite to it. And we’re not talking about the bite of a deathly Russian winter, but one that definitely calls for a sip of vodka.