Sound: At first, I was a bit thrown off by the fact that every song is in Russian, but that did not last for long. As I listened I found out that Leningrad is (or was, they split in 2008) a very musically diverse 14 piece band that dabbles in ska, reggae while adding an Eastern European flavour to it that is truly unique to North American listeners. Not to mention their songs are extremely catchy. The singer's flow is hypnotic, as I found myself getting lost in the way his words sort of roll off his tongue (even though I couldn't understand what he was saying) // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Well, since I don't speak Russian I can't comment on the lyrics obviously, but I did do a bit of research on them. Their lyrics are apparently laced with profanities and other vulgarities (which apparently helped increased their popularity amongst Russian listeners). In fact, the lyrics are so vulgar that the mayor of Moscow evidently banned all Leningrad shows in the city! The singer's voice is very rough, but it suits the music. The songs were catchy enough that I didn't mind not being able to understand the lyrics. // 5
Impression: Probably the stand out tracks on this disc would have to be Menya Zovut Shnur (My Name is Shnur), Khuynya, Menedjer, Raspisay, Ole-ole and Khuyamba and a cool little reggae tune K Tebe Begu. All of these songs are extremely catchy and are guaranteed to be stuck in your head for days. If you even have a passing interest in ska, or love ska and want to see what Russia has to offer in the genre, I'd suggest checking this out. I had to download it (yes, I know) because I'm fairly sure you can't buy their music in North America. So if I lost it, I would certainly download it again. // 8
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