Litovsk: S/T 12″

Description

Growing up at the end of the world makes you feel unique and timeless things. There is universality in life apart from the excessive urbanism of big cities, rocked by the waves and a not so rare sun. The teenage years are those of endless summers where feelings and the taste for freedom enter a new dimension. LITOVSK takes a look at this period but also on its commitment to activism and questions its relationship to others, social determinism and religious faith.This record could be described as a kind of testimony but its much more than that : lyrics, music and artwork go in the same direction and form a rich protean ensemble. During these five songs, LITOVSK ventures into new territories with more melodies and more room for melancholy without losing anything of their singular sound and energy. This 12 was recorded between Leipzig and Brittany and it is brilliantly illustrated by Evan Luvens full of sensitivity photos.

Our take: Even though weve carried several of their records over the past few years, Im pretty sure this new 5-song 12 EP is the first time Ive given them a close listen. They do not sound like what I expected! Has anyone coined the term skingaze yet? As in a combination of skinhead / oi! music and shoegaze? I think the word accurately describes Litovsks sound. The singer belts out broad, anthemic melodies like Gary Bushell is in the audience tonight, but the guitars are lush, layered, and bathed in effects. Its halfway between Blitzs Second Empire Justice and Modern Englishs After the Snow, and like those records (both of which I love, by the way), the songwriting is excellent. While thats what Litovsk brings to mind for me, its also not too far away from stuff that labels like Jade Tree were putting out in the late 90s. A similar mix of lush arrangements, melodic songwriting, and a dash of punk energy powered bands like the Promise Ring, Braid, and Texas Is the Reason. Maybe that broad range of comparisons means theres a timeless quality to Litovsks music. Any way you slice it, though, this is a beautiful and powerful EP.