DON'T SURRENDER

This can be like the wine-taster's job sometimes. He just clicks tongue against palate and spits: "I can feel notes of such and such wood, fruits, species or whatever". How did those "notes" come into that particular vintage, we will never know. They're just there, and we are being informed. Well, I definitely feel some recognizable notes in this brand new album by the Polish band Amarok, so it's my job to tell you people.

The album starts with a very good electric guitar riffage, enough to make you feel that things are going to rock a bit eventually, which most of the times is good, in my book. After that, in the second and third track, and backing excellent psychedelic-tinged vocals soaked in reverb, there come the notes, in the form of some Depeche Mode kind of groove propulsed by the rhythm section, and haunted by somber, Ultravox's Billy Currie-like synths. Ok, there you have, blame it on the sommelier in me, but give it a chance first, and take a listen. It's all there, I promise.

And from there on, there is much more to come, now in the form of floydian - via Porcupine Tree - soli, solidly amazing vocal harmonies, even a more upfront vocal delivery in the piano based ballad Don't Surrender. All good, and never detracting from the personal quality of this music, being rather like those notes sent by the wind into the wine, just to enhance its flavor.

The closing track is a whole different story, just a brief moment of chilling emotion with Polish vocals accompanied by what sounds like an accordion sounding synth.

Excellent, and refreshing to these ears.