Album: Rubik - Bad Conscience Patrol
As a reviewer, you get cd’s from bands you have never heard of. And sometimes one of those grabs you and won’t let go. Rubik’s debut album Bad Conscience Patrol is refreshing, experimental and surprising. This progressive/indie rockband combines the messy playing of Placebo with Muse’s hysterical guitars. Other main influences are Elbow, Mew and Radiohead. Yes, it gets even better!
Sleeps a Friendly stranger, the first track on Bad Conscience Patrol, immediately wakes you up with it’s bombastic guitars. The band builds up the tension for half a minute, and then hits you with a completely different drum rhythm. The megaphone vocals reminds you of Muse. The tension gets even higher during the chorus, and the band loses control completely during the next verse. Amazing! A Hard Try is more quiet and coherent, but as experimental as the first track. This one has real singing though, instead of talking, and of course that sounds great as well. Though you seem to hear a different collection of instruments every five seconds, the song is very well produced and it all fits together perfectly.
The biggest surprise is that these gentlemen aren’t from England, as you would expect, but from Finland! Vocalist/guitarist Artturi Taira sings without an accent and has a large vocabulary. Rubik doesn’t sound like most Finnish bands we know. The five-piece played their first show in 2003 and have astonished lots of critics with their amazing music since then. They have toured with Mogqai, Lapko and Disco Ensemble. I can’t wait to see them live!
Verdict: Albums like these make my work as a reviewer worthwile! Have a listen, keep an open mind and let yourself be blown away!