Local Blood - Dystopian Disco (2022)

The Lithuanian Local Blood debuted (also on this blog) with their EP called A Lure of Sights with the brilliant Total Guidance as the final track. But it was already over 5 (!) years ago. Finally this year, the post-punk scholars showed their proper debut album and Dystopian Disco is everything you may have wanted it to be.

I can sense so much influences here: there's something from Modest Mouse and IDLES in the vocals, tons of post-punk references from across the genre's scene and also something from the electronic compatriots from Solo Ansamblis in the way the compositions flow. As the post-punk canons state, the lyrics touch all the important stuff from the social point of view from the religious deceitfulness in My Blood to the state of being controlled (in, well, Control) and modern politics (Crawling Borders 2). But all this is made very approachable (which is important in those dark times now) with the melodic and catchy tunes and the way the band emits pure energy towards the audience. Especially when it's strengthen by the synthesizer madness like it is the case in Pressure. This modern and attractive approach to post-punk that hides the gloomy messages in the energetic blast makes the Lithuanians an important debut and a must-see for concert goers.

 

Dystopian Disco costs 9 EUR.

Local Blood - A Lure of Sights (2016)

Check: My Blood

Country: Lithuania

Genre: energetic post-punk

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Local Blood - A Lure Of Sights (2016) EN

Post-punk temper, coldwave backgrounds and the bass line put in the foreground with poignant post-rock moments. Local Blood is a Lithuanian quartet based in Vilnius, that listened to The Horrors a lot and decided to record something between "Strange House" and "Skying.

Everything begins with the story of a night when a forest grew - a composition of cold synthesizer and hot guitars. After which it's only getting better as Šarūnas Vyštartas' vocal adds to the mixture (I wouldn't be very surprised if his name was Badwanas - if I exaggerate with the comparisons it's only because I have only respect for The Horrors). The whole thing sounds both disturbing and so catchy, no wonder, the lyrics deal with hardly pleasant experiences. "I kneel alone / My thoughts and me / Beneath the mask / That others see" ("Crawling Borders") or "I dig in my past / I lose the present / A commotion is a new friend of mine" ("Past Perfect Continous").

The strongest impression is left by last track whose repeated lyrics make it a sort of anthem for... For what exactly? Is it about a toxic relationship in which one side feels good being controlled? Or perhaps there's something more? After some more listening, which I'm planning anyway, I may find it out.

"A Lure Of Sights" was recorded in Eleventy-One, it costs 4 EUR.

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Local Blood - A Lure Of Sights (2016) PL

Post-punkowy charakter, zimnofalowe tła i linia basu na pierwszym planie oraz przejmujące post-rockowe momenty. Local Blood to litewski kwartet z Wilna, który musiał nasłuchać się The Horrors i zaczął grać swoją wersję czegoś pomiędzy "Strange House" a "Skying". 

Wszystko zaczyna się od historii nocy, podczas której wyrósł las - kompozycji łączącej zimny syntezator i gorące gitary, a potem jest tylko lepiej bo dochodzi wokal Šarūnas Vyštartas (gdyby nazywał się Badwanas to wcale by mnie to nie zdziwiło - jeśli przesadzam w porównaniach do Horrors to tylko dlatego, że darzę ich ogromnym szacunkiem). Całość brzmi jednocześnie niepokojąco i przebojowo - nic dziwnego skoro teksty nie opisują najprzyjemniejszych doświadczeń. "Klęczę sam / ja i moje myśli / pod maską / którą widzą inni" ("Crawling Borders"), czy "Zagłębiam się w przeszłości / tracę teraźniejszość / wzburzenie to mój nowy przyjaciel" ("Past Perfect Continous").

Największe wrażenie robi jednak ostatni utwór, którego powtarzany wkoło tekst zamienia się w hymn dla, no właśnie, dla czego? Czy chodzi o toksyczny związek, w którym jedna strona czuje się dobrze będąc kontrolowana? A może o coś więcej? Po wielu kolejnych odsłuchaniach, które i tak planuję, może do tego dojdę.

"A Lure Of Sights" nagrano w Eleventy-One, kosztuje 18 złotych (4 EUR).

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