(Photo Credit: Michael La Torre)
Today is release day for NYC-based Russian Baths! Our friends over at Good Eye Records hooked us up with this LP of Russian Baths latest release Mirror. We are extremely excited for this one just from the packaging, so lets start there. The imagery evokes comps to Radiohead's "Street Spirit" video. It's all black and white, it's haunting, and there is something natural about it. We get floating orbs in the wild on the packaging, along with shockingly bent and twisted branches used throughout the packaging, even on the LP itself. I love the vibes coming off the LP. At first I wondered what colored vinyl would fit with this record, but it has to be standard black and I'm glad they went with that.
Let's talk about the music! It's dark and noisy, it also has elements of shoegaze to it. The duo of Jess Rees (guitar, vocals) and Luke Koz (guitar, vocals) make up Russian Baths and I really enjoy the sound they've been able to achieve. It's brooding, it's moody, and it feels like a warning to the listener about the evils of a current age. The band stays consistent in all aspects of their message from packaging to delivery of vocals, guitars, and drums. You get the point that Russian Baths are trying to achieve here. For an up-and-coming band from the NYC scene (specifically Brooklyn), it's tough to stand out. However, creating a mood just from the packaging alone that is consistent with the sound on the album is the way to do it!
Long story short, I absolutely love this album and it's minimalist approach to packaging. You're not going to get fuzzy frills with it. What you are going to get is no nonsense photography, finishings, and a damn fine album. If you're into shoegaze, this album's for you!
And one more thing...Since it's my site, I'm gonna give the damn thing a rating. This is definitely a strong 5/5 for me.
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