You know, one of the main problems of the modern world in terms of music is that the rules have changed. If earlier it was possible to record two or three tracks on a record and call it a day, now the ball is ruled exclusively by albums, as a result of which we often have ten absolutely passable tracks created only to fill up space and time on the disc, for one really worthwhile, bombastic track. Previously, it was possible to record ten artists and publish their records, after which all losses could be covered by the eleventh artist who was liked by the public and became popular, but now the promotion of even one musician with current prices costs millions of dollars.
That’s why labels and producers can’t take risks, and instead of recording dozens of artists and letting the public choose, they prefer to record one, but then fully invest in him and make sure that his tracks sound from every sneaker. You will hear modern pop music: it plays in shopping malls, in advertisements, on TV, on the radio – damn it, all that’s missing is huge airships hanging over cities to play us new-fangled pop stars. Even if you don’t like some new Justin Bieber for half an hour, you will hear him, and at the very moment when this vile melody touches your ears, one hard coin will fall into someone’s pocket. That’s how it works now.
While truly talented guys who work not for profit, but for the sake of their favorite music, often can’t even scrape together the money for a studio recording, they can’t put together one album to sell. It really saddens me, and that’s why when I decided to write an article about John Lennon today, I realized that I really didn’t really want to do it. Yes, such a big name will surely help our small site in search engines, and, undoubtedly, thousands of fans will immediately run to see exactly what I wrote here, but hey, we already have 37 deleted spam comments. I’m sorry, John, but now that I’m being chased by a crowd of admiring spam bots, I can postpone meeting with your music until next week. But then what should I write about?
I’m not going to tell you all the nuances of my creative process, but as a result, I came across an EP by Bullet Proof called Shake The Summer. Damn it, I wanted to listen to it two months ago! Damn it, how could I forget! But… That’s what you need for an article. There are only four tracks – we’ve had enough of the walls of text for now – from a little-known band from Norway… It’s just wonderful! Yes. I’ll write about them.
So, Bullet Proof is a band from Norway, where there is, apparently, the immortal raggare movement, which came there from Sweden. It is because of raggare that there really are a huge number of rockabilly bands in Sweden, Norway and Finland, but Bullet Proof stands out among them because they have released two albums and one EP, and at the same time they are one of the youngest bands of this genre known to me. I would like to note separately that I bought all this honestly, because such small and talented groups need to be supported by money in every possible way, even though I myself am categorically short. I liked both albums for the most part, but I must say, I think it’s worth starting to get acquainted with the band with the EP. Four tracks are just under three minutes long, each of which is good – a win-win start.
The EP opens with an extremely poetic piece by the Same Old Train, and… comrades, well, I’m sorry, I love that. An incendiary tune, in which there is the slightest note of sadness, which, in my opinion, is especially clearly audible in the vocalist’s voice – it’s like an anthem for the losers, but not the broken. An ode to all those whose time has passed even before they were born. Add to this a great text, which, for example, has these words: I’m rollin’, going fast while runnin’ from the past. Still away in the same old train and the beat refuse to stop! Get set, get ready, tonight we’re gonna rock! One has only to feel such a track, to feel like the main character of this story for two minutes and thirty seconds – and this will not let go. Same Old Train is one of the band’s best songs, next to which is only Rollin’ from the album of the same name.
The other three tracks no longer include elements of longing and are pure rock and roll. Maybe the Same Old Train should have been placed at the end of the EP, but on the other hand, the beginning should be powerful and exciting… so I’m not sure how it would be better. And despite the fact that I like the Same Old Train more than the others, I understand that this is not least because it is the only one, and if the whole Shake The Summer was written in the same style, the effect would not be so bright and somewhat blurred.
So, the first piece is followed by one sample of pure rock and roll – this is Shake The Summer and two songs with small elements of romance – Good Ol’ Man and Hanging On My Dreams. And I must assure you that with the exception of a bit of sadness, everything else in these tracks is in place. The sound of a canonical semi-acoustic guitar, accentuated by a conventional electronic one. A clear double bass line, so familiar to every lover of such music. Excellent poetic texts, of which, among the mentions of roads, cars and girls, for some reason I remember the phrase roll your dice, gamble nice, come on! A pleasant and deliberately slightly low-key microphone. Yes, everything is in place, and the EP definitely does not suffer from the album problem in terms of the fact that some tracks are frankly inferior in sound to others.
This is a wonderful extended play for all fans of classic rock and roll. Not all Bullet Proof tracks from their two albums had the dubious honor of ending up in my music collection rather than in the trash on my desktop, but Shake The Summer is eleven minutes of pure pleasure. My only complaint will probably be a live performance. For some reason, every time I get the impression that only the vocalist really gets a kick out of the process, and this makes me a little sad. I also noticed that the double bass player has changed, and although I’m not sure if it’s just for one performance, it still worries me a little… But anyway, Bullet Proof is a great band, capable of producing a really cool sound, and I hope this is not their last record.
2. Shake The Summer
3. Good Ol’ Man
4. Hanging On My Dreams
