Sorry Holka - Post Party Depression (2023)
By Flork
When I first got word that Sorry Holka had recorded their latest release in Ústí nad Labem, I jumped on the chance to listen to their blend of colourful reverb and post-punk revival. And why might you ask? A long, long time ago, the old Florkster (who was a much younger Florkster in those days) spent some time up in that neck of the woods. And while I listen to the opening track Zbytek (Remainder), my mind is filled with memories of the smokestacks of “Chemička” (the sprawling chemical plant) and “Setuza” (the northern ‘fat’ works, or rendering plant) dominating the landscape. The Ústí region is an amazing place to set the backdrop for such an album: a contrast of natural beauty and industry, a socialist past with a modern vibe. How could a band like Sorry Holka not have emerged from there?
And while my time in northern Bohemia had come and gone long before the Czech trio’s debut around 2008, Sorry Holka is still able to bridge a gap between those years lost in the past with our troubled times of the present. Chvíli (Moments) is a good example of this. This track alone evokes memories of early shoegaze in Czechia, when the wave began to slowly gain momentum in Bohemia with bands like Naked Souls and The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa. And although it is clear that Sorry Holka has progressed over the years, Post Party Depression retains all the elements of the genre with guitar-laden climaxes and distorted frequencies. This is evident in Černej Mrak (The Black Cloud) and Vlaky (Trains), the latter of which closes the 10-track album with its 7-minute-plus wall-of-sound. What’s cool about Sorry Holka is that even though the production nuances are several levels up from their earlier releases, the songwriting itself has not strayed from its initial style of energetic and upbeat melodies, but has merely adapted to the times. This is a good thing I must add, since younger folk or the college crowd could totally get off on this music, just as much as those of us who were around during the genre‘s inception. It’s timeless and pan-generational.
And my prognosis? Post Party Depression weaves a tapestry of a 90s landscape that includes the heavy anger and sounds of post punk and the melodies of slowcore and alternative dreampop. But not to deceive the reader, the album is lively and heavy in its entirety. The artwork on the album cover is first-class, reminiscent of the ever-present “sídliště” found everywhere in post-socialist Europe. And the production is definitely top-notch. Post Party Depression is a brilliant record that warrants much-deserved attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment