Jinjer, one of the biggest acts that could still call themselves ‘underground’ with a straight face, have returned once again with a new full length album, just under 2 years since ‘Macro’ was thrust upon the world, and it seems to be entirely what’s expected of the Ukrainian outfit, with crushing riffs built out of dark, dissonant chords, crisp and brutal drums backing up complex and often confusing basslines, and Tatiana’s varied and distinctive vocals.
The strange thing is though, there doesn’t seem to be a single example of a moment or section that completely stops you in your tracks, like the sudden, crazy chorus of ‘Pisces’, or the “I smile to you” section of ‘Teacher, Teacher’, or even the total left turn of ‘Bad Water’ from debut album ‘Cloud Factory. This isn’t to say that it necessarily *needs* a moment like those mentioned, simply that it is a surprise to not notice a piece like those formerly mentioned, even after multiple listens.
To someone already a fan of Jinjer, (like myself) this is barely noticed, and ‘Wallflowers’ is yet another fantastic example of the unique sound invented by guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov and Bassist Eugene Abdukhanov. However, this is definitely not the album of choice for introducing Jinjer to the uninitiated (that honour undoubtedly goes to 2016’s ‘King of Everything’) as there isn’t that “end of I Speak Astronomy” moment, despite brilliant, memorable tracks like ‘Disclosure!’ and ‘As I Boil Ice’.
This is another beautifully complete, interesting and totally brutal affair from a quality band, just don’t make it your first port of call when recommending the band to a new listener.
