The Striggles – Expressionism LP (Noise Appeal Records)

Another batch of excellent Noise Appeal releases arrived recently at our headquarters, and I have picked “Expressionism” by The Striggles for this occasion first. It’s a debut full-length album by this exceptional Austrian quartet, which is known for its versatile, eclectic, unique sound. “Expressionism” immediately grabs attention with its witty illustration, decorating the front side of this high-quality printed packaging. You’ll notice the backhead of the character on the back cover, which irresistibly reminds of an Easter Island statues. The inlay reveals illustrations for each song once you open these pages. I know that many vinyl collectors are not big fans of the open-page vinyl jackets, but The Striggles did a tremendous job on this one. Also, it’s good to mention that the standard black vinyl carries the music, which is more than a good pick since the cover is entirely printed in black and white.

Soundwise, The Striggles combine many different styles to achieve a desired sound. Perhaps experimental rock comes to mind first, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon art rock, noise rock, blues rock, and alternative along the way. Their music goes from rudimentary sonic maneuvers where minimalism reigns supreme to profoundly complex orchestrations where every band member delivers a top-notch performance. It’s nearly mindblowing how many brilliant ideas they stacked on every composition, making this full-length album one of the best pieces of work that still resonates with some passion and intensity to this day. Released in 2008, this material could easily pair and surpass many modern recordings due to its levitations between modern and retro sound.

Songs like “Sorry,” “It’s Just A Joke,” “Free To Be Saved,” “mmh_Zzz,” “Suzie,” and “Adorations” are just some of the standouts of the album where their experience, knowledge, skills, ideas, and musicianship shine on the limelight, but the remainder of the material also bursts with so many exceptional moments where these folks showcase their brilliance. The guitars scream with generously distorted leads, themes, melodies, chord progressions, and riffs and then calm down to the point where the equally complex, warm-sounding basslines shine on their own. The experienced drummer dictates groove and pace with energetic, dynamic, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. Of course, this album wouldn’t sound complete without a magnificent vocal performance that guides the listeners through the entire sonic universe built upon the remainder of the band. Everything sounds top-notch from scratch to finish, so this material will be such a treat for even those newbies to the mentioned genres. The Striggles sound fresh and unique even after 15 years since they unleashed this marvelous album, so you should head to Noise Appeal Records and grab this masterpiece as part of The Striggles record bundle.