MOONBERRY

"Moonberry" is possibly the most promising album I heard from 2010's debuts. Chamber rock band from Siberia releasing their debut album on Italian respectable avant-prog label AltrOck - it's not an everyday's event!And even more - far not very often you can find so matured debut work!

It's well-known fact that Russia isn't progressive music Mecca: with long traditions of ban on rock music in 60s and 70s and underground rock as form of social protest in two last decades of Soviet Union existence , modern Russia is a dictatorship of power structures and wild oil and gas export based money,what both aren't the best conditions for non- commercial arts development.

With my quite deep knowledge of Russian prog-rock and jazz market, I was extremely surprised with "Moonberry" 's release.And the only reason I believe such album could be released it came from Siberia - fantastic nature's land not too far from Chine, but 4000 miles far from Moscow with its silicon body forms cult and simple people poverty.

About music: the album contains very fresh and original mix of European chamber rock (Henry Cow,etc),some classic (mostly Russian classical music), few contemporary music elements and huge doze of Siberian folklore. Please note - I didn't say Russian, but Siberian - which is similar, but without "matrioshkas" for Western tourists and boring to death cliches. From very first sounds (Troyka bells sound) this music brings you into the world of cold snowy winters, strong people and ... modernity. Band's chamber rock compositions with strings,soulful melodies so characteristic for Russian classical tradition scent of nostalgia and without cold Western mannerism, so usual for nowadays' Western chamber rock are just another world - not far and exotic world of different cultures and civilizations,but the world,which always is near us,just we are too busy to notice it.

I mentioned above band's "chamber rock compositions" - the reason is not all songs on the album are chamber rock. There are few short Siberian folk songs,sung a-Capella,added between chamber rock compositions. It's pure modern (but quite authentic) versions of traditional folklore, but they work as delicious spices in all album's brew.

Possibly, the most interesting album coming from Russia for years (if not decades),you must listen it and you will be really pleasantly surprised!

My rating is 4+!