Check out what we have prepared for you this month.
Paula Roma “She Who Burns with Love” – the title could indicate that this is another album about either being in love or having a broken heart. But not at all. It’s about love for another person, yes, but also about love for yourself, for the world, simply for people. In an interview, when asked about the song “…Smutek”, the artist said that “there is little sadness at this moment, but this sadness appeared on the album to emphasize that there was a lot of it.” And you can feel it on this album. For me, it’s the perfect soundtrack for wandering around the city alone at night, when all the crying and anger is behind us, and deep peace lies ahead. Apparently artists don’t like being compared to someone else, but if I compare them to “Kozmic Blues” by Natalia Przybysz, it probably won’t be bad, right?
Horta “Giallo” – we have just received the first album on physics, and Horta is already back with a single promoting the next album. The co-author of this piece and the band’s keyboardist – Tomek Jagiełowicz – wrote on the occasion of the premiere that “until now, his composing ended up either in a drawer or on Soundcloud”. Lord, if everyone had such debuts, the world would be a more beautiful place. The atmosphere of horror is complemented by an atmospheric music video. Guys, give me this album already.
The Last Dinner Party “Prelude to Ecstasy” – after the first encounter with the girls from London, I thought: we have European, baroque Sorry Boys. “Nothing Matters” managed to make a bit of a stir just before its premiere, but the entire album only showed the full color of the Victorian The Last Dinner Party. The debut of the group, which was formed only three years ago, is like an epic feast. A wide variety of dishes appear on the table, ingredients are handpicked from the best chefs in the industry (such as Queen, ABBA, Kate Bush or David Bowie), and after eating you feel perfectly full. And you can sleep peacefully that it won’t harm you. This is perhaps one of the most interesting albums this year. Intriguing, sometimes surprising, and in all this indie-rock rawness and outstretched claws, it makes you want to dance slowly, hypnotically. Literally like the titular prelude to ecstasy.
Mark Knopfler “Ahead of the Game” – although I wasn’t brought up on Trójka, I have a soft heart for old rockers – all it takes is for Clapton to touch the strings and my eyes get wet. Mark Knopfler announces his 9th album with the song “Ahead of the Game”, which is also a typical work, not much different from the guitarist’s recent achievements. But apart from that, he sings about this: “What else would you like from me?” During his last concert in Krakow in 2019, he announced his retirement from performing, but denied that he was stopping recording. Because Knopfler still has a lot to tell – not only with the guitar, but also with words. His latest albums contain a lot of retrospective, personal threads – it will be no different with the new album, which I am very much looking forward to. It will be released on April 12, and for now all we have left for the coming weeks is this less than four-minute foretaste.
Paula Roma “She Who Burns with Love” – this is my discovery not only of the month, but of the last time! Although this is not Paula’s first album, I have only just met her and… I fell in love. I was touched by the deep texts that come from Paula’s poetic pen. Just looking at the titles, such as “The Sky is Leaking” or “My Heart is Blinking”, I decided to stick with this name. It paid off. Beautifully written, tenderly sung, filled with love. It turned out that part of the album was recorded while pregnant, so figuratively and literally this girl has this true, sincere love inside her. And you can hear it. But WARNING: this album is absolutely for sensitive people. And maybe for those who like to cook, because inside Paula included a “recipe” with her own recipes for simple and tasty dishes.
Baranovski “Armistice” – as a proposal expressing dreams and hopes for a better tomorrow. If you want a song with a deeper message, a mission, a sincere reflection, you will find it in “Use”. I wouldn’t suspect Wojtek of writing such a text, but here it is – a nice surprise. And that’s why it deserves a place on this list. The song comes from the latest album, released a few days ago. Let “Truce” be a positive thought and note for today.
Helado Negro “Phasor” – it’s hard to tear yourself away from the new Helado Negro album titled “Phasor”. The foundations for this collection were laid in 2019 during experiments with the complex SAL – MAR synthesizer at the University of Illinois. The final work is full of synths that are out of this world. And also longing, delicate melodies woven with the greatest care. There is also the freshness of the sea breeze when the song “Colores del mar” comes to the fore. It’s a wonderful, dreamy album, good not only for this time of year.
Bruce Dickinson “The Mandrake Project” – 19 years have passed since Dickinson’s last album. During this time, Iron Maiden recorded a zillion uninteresting albums. And his last album (“Tyranny of Souls” – ed.) was… nothing. Dickinson returns in a big way for… half of his new album. Then he bores you with ballads. Mom! Let him add coal to the stove. A good, very long-winded, wasted album, although halfway through it falls apart. Premiere on March 1.
Judas Priest “Panic Attack” – apart from being a metal god, Rob Halford is also a super cool guy whose autobiography, which raises the issue of his homosexuality, which he hid in a masculinized environment, should be read by every metal fan. 74 years old, “Painkillera” must already be singing on his back. But… once, in high school, we saw “Metal Hammer” with the cover: “Rob Halford, a pedal to the metal”. We laughed like minks. Today I feel very sorry and stupid for laughing. Rob is a god and let’s just stop being boorish and primitive. Heavy metal is about living your own way and letting others live. That’s what Judas Priest is for.
Maciej Spons “Coffee and Crystal” – the first Polish trapper, at least the real one. No more uncontrolled movements like on Vixageddon, no sounds known from the first solo albums, but with more peace. What is important – again with the quality mark. Maciej Spons maneuvers between fun (or rather memories of it) and everyday life, helped by famous guests, including: Curren$y, Dizzy Wright and MC Eiht. None of these songs will be the rapper’s peak achievement, but be sure to listen to “Millimetra” or “Zodiakary”, because these are more than just strong moments and songs that Polish rap needs. A good start to the year and another portion of non-obvious twist with obvious quality. Just like Spons.
Przemo DBM “JEBUDU” – gangway that hurts. It’s striking, especially since Przemo DBM won’t break through again with a new single. It’s a pity, because the guy has everything to become more widely known on the hip-hop scene. A small-town atmosphere in a big-city aura, some life-like content, a simple loop that dominates the backing track and that specific magic in the voice that keeps the song alive. It used to be better, now it’s good, but still good enough to be more interesting than the competition.