Blessure: Ekaitza / Sabat 7″

Description

After the debut split 7″ with Golpe De Gracia and being part of the Basque compilations V/A Kaosa Euskal Herrian LP and V/A Chaos in Basque Country LP, this punk/oi quartet from Bilbao returns on debut solo vinyl with 2 new songs playing a totally melodic, old school French Oi! sound 80’s sound Think Camera Silens, Comintern Sect, Warrior Kids delivered with elegant female vocals akin to a newer French band like Litige. sung in French / Basque (Ekaitza) and the other in Spanish (Sabat).

Our take: This two-song single is the debut stand-alone release (they had a previous split 7 and appeared on some compilations) from this punk / oi! band from Basque Country, and it is a scorcher. Its a bold move putting out a two-song punk single, but what Blessure loses in quantity they deliver in quality. The a-side, Ekaitza, is a great fucking song. Sung in the Basque language, its gritty sound and rudimentary instrumentation sound like something from the Chaos En France compilation, but the songs structure is pure pop, with a simple but effective guitar hook leading the way to an anthemic chorus. The vocalist is spectacular too, not just carrying a tune but doing it with a unique timbre that makes Blessure sound unlike anyone else. The b-side, Sabat, is a straightforward basher in the Blitz mold with terrace chant backing vocals that make it sound more prototypically oi! Like a great punk single should, this one keeps me flipping the record while I dream about how Blessure might expand on these ideas for an EP or (fingers crossed) a full-length.