The Forced Oscillations.
«Garlics» compilation review.
The first impression can’t be made twice.
Popular wisdom
«Garlics» is a promo-compilation of a not much unknown in some circles Russian band «The Forced Oscillations». It includes songs from the band’s EP and concerts of the latest two years.
«Garlics» leaves behind very mixed feelings of itself. Evident troubles with record’s quality forms the first impression unpleasant from the very beginning of listening to it. In this regard vocals especially suffered, because it is sometimes really indistinguishable against the bass background. Bass is another problem, in some compositions it is more powerful than it is necessary and spoils main melody, prevents to reveal itself. However, maybe someone catches sight of peculiar chic.
Instrumental compositions «Arctic bloodred moonlight sadness» and «Northern lights» provoke some incomprehension. This melody may be good for intro and outro, and these songs are used in this capacity in band’s last EP, but isn’t enough strong to be full-fledged elegy, and it sounds quite strange in the middle of compilation, especially short «Northern lights».
Live tracks have a disappointing quality of sound, sometimes with obvious fails of musical equipments. Who forced «The forced oscillations» to include these tracks in this compilation, and why these tracks may not wait for the times when they will be recorded in a better quality, that’s a mystery. To be honest, live tracks on this CD create a disgusting sense that they were added just to top it off, and only overload quite enough boring compilation.
However, the main problem of «Garlics» is not a record quality, but that they have sufficiently boring sound. Compilation consists of 18 tracks and lasts 70 minutes, and listening it as a whole is really wearisome. Maybe the reason is that the uniformity of sound is not equal to sound’s atmosphere. Maybe it’s because of lack of some final traits of composition, which can give some individuality and brilliance to songs.
For all that, this band has a real creative potential. «Garlics» contains a number of comparatively strong tracks: Acids (not by a chance you can find there 2 versions of this song), «Free», «Diaries», «December», mix of «Ash mylejau tave» with a female vocal part is quite interesting as well. And, in general, pretty much all the track have pleasant post-punk guitars and good rhythm drums, well, sometimes to hear that it is necessary to overcome some negative impressions.
As the final result despite all listed above shortcomings, this promo permit to assume that «The Forced Oscillations» are capable of greater things, than that this promo can demonstrate. That’s why I’d rather keep myself believing that this band will not stop at what has been accomplished and will continue to develop itself.
Nikolay ‘Tacitus’ Polyakov
Grave Jibes Fanzine
