Russkaja – Kosmopoliturbo (2017)

Superbly bizarre Austrian outfit Russkaja is back with yet another totally deranged release with “Kosmopoliturbo”. Adding a few more influences to their already funky Ska-ish sound, the band delivers ten songs that will either make you avoid them like the plague, or find you bizarrely interest in listening to them for extended periods of time. Filled with lush musical arrangements and very catchy songs, this release is one of those love it or hate it kind of albums, so be sure to approach it with an open mind.

Opening with the extra catchy “Hey Road”, the band instantly showcases the Polka/Ska influences with this very palatable song that reminds us of a mixture of Angizia and the Devil Swing Orchestra. Things get a bit crazier with the throbbing bass guitar line of “Alive” as this track descends into total madness before its completion. Learning new tricks, the band delivers the reggaetón-inspired “Still in Love”, with auto-tune and everything, this track is truly odd and very mainstream sounding, but you can still get the signature Russkaja weirdness in it.

Things return to the regular levels of madness with the heavy “Hello Japan”, a song that perfectly blends the band’s Ska influences with heavier riffs and a funky chorus section. With such a rich instrumentation, Russkaja’s sound is quite enjoyable and full of surprises as we hear in the playful “Volle Kraft Voraus” and the hard rocking madness of “Cheburaschka”. Never taking itself too seriously, this outfit is great at delivering unique and very diverse musical experiences like Spanish-spoken “La Musica” or the French one “Chef De Cuisine”.

The release winds down with the very dramatic “Send You an Angel”, showing that Georgij Makazaria also excels at ballads, and the band can slowdown their tempo this dramatically. Overall, “Kosmopoliturbo” is another brilliant release by a band that is quite playful and diverse. We particularly enjoy that Russkaja is not afraid to take risks and complements their style with whatever craziness they think would sound cool and weird. If you are into weird music, this release should be in your pre-order queue by now.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: August 4th, 2017

Genre: Russian Turbo Polka

Country: Austria