SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PLOHO – WHEN THE SOUL SLEEPS

Pholo
When The Soul Sleeps
Artoffact Records

Since the late ‘80s, Russian post punk bands are characterized by nostalgic auras and cold haunting melodies composed by synths textures, guitar riffs, drum machines, and brooding bass lines. Siberian trio Ploho released a new album that doesn’t exactly follow the traditional rhythmic pattern explained above. Though they continue to produce dark and dense tunes, this recent record includes an enthusiastic change.

When The Soul Sleeps has both new wave and post punk attributes, developing into a dynamic and somber album. The presence of a heavy bass line and solemn vocals in first track “Занавес” sets a gloomy atmosphere that marks a soft approach to the rest of the songs. However, the merging between synths, joyful beats, and a lighter singing pitch in “Никогда не говори никогда” turns the record into an experimental one. Alongside this, the band achieves splendidly a danceable tune in “Не будем прощаться”, thanks to the good balance between the two mentioned music genres, the catchy chorus, and the consistent shift in tempos.

The album is quite enjoyable because of its outstanding features, nevertheless, not understanding the lyrics could be a dealbreaker for some. The tracks seem to steadily switch between styles, making it hard to get bored of listening. Lastly, the 80’s domestic synth sounds, humorous tones, and slow to lively progressions make of this record a good choice for people looking for a radical expression of music.

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