Some albums demand time, while others don’t. They require patient, thorough listening to fully grasp everything an artist, band, or any other music outlet intends to convey through their music. But what happens when the music is so detailed that it demands your utmost attention, to the point where each detail within each song requires you to sit down, close your eyes, and fully grasp every vocal line, sonic nuance, and rhythmic maneuver? Well, then you know that you stumbled upon a true masterpiece. But, in the times of mass production, overly produced music, and piles upon piles of standalone singles and half-finished recordings, are there any bands that are worth your time? Posing that question requires a thorough answer as well, but yes, bands like Presing definitely demand your utmost attention. With over thirty years of roaming the underground alternative scene and receiving a cult status in the region, you immediately know they’re up to something that demands more than just simplistic listening and more of a detailed examination. And although “Povratak U Krntiju” has been released by Geenger Records in 2021, this material feels as timeless as it could possibly be. It’s an epic journey through the expansive sonic universe crafted in the way only Presing could possibly do. Beneath the vividly hearable alternative rock foundation, constructed by stacking the dominant elements of this longstanding style, Presing carefully, wisely, thoughtfully, skillfully stacked nu-jazz, jazz, krautrock, post-rock, post-punk, noise rock, and many other genres and subgenres. For inexperienced listeners, this mashup of styles might seem like way too much, but hear me out, these folks have been playing music for almost forty years and acummulated experience, knowledge, skills, creativity, and talent that are vividly hearable in each composition. “Povratak U Krntiju” is the culmination of years upon years of perfecting craft, polishing or unpolishing particular details, and definitely experimenting with everything you could possibly think of in the moment. These experimentations with various styles, approaches, techniques, directions, and other details that might affect musical route resulted in such a fresh, unique, and innovative album.
Presing is one of those bands that you’re either confused or amazed by. Whenever they go straightforward with alternative rock route, experiment with jazz, krautrock, noise rock, and post-rock, or calm things down with that almost lounge, nu jazz, ambient sound, their music encourages you to take an even deeper dive into their music. For some listeners, it might seem confusing at times, because the band takes those complex sonic maneuvers and shatters them into pieces with each traveling in its direction, while in other times the band unifies into a colossal slab of harmonious noise, offering a wall of lush, ethereal, and captivating sound that rewards repeated listens. And whatever route you love or prefer more, both tend to impress in so many ways. Whether the band leans towards those soothing moments or aims for raw, aggressive segments, “Povratak U Krntiju” sounds as luxuriant as possible. And each member has its place and purpose here, contributing immense ideas and performance in order to make things work flawlessly. Kiza Radović exists in his own space, commanding attention, elevating each sonic and rhyhtmic maneuver, and guiding listeners on an epic journey through an expansive sonic universe with his abstract, storytelling lyricism. He’s a confident singer whose power comes from narrating the story in such a distinctive and unpredictable manner. Vladimir Krakov’s guitar work shapes a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. Sometimes angular, jangly, polished, and sometimes tastefully or overly distorted, those chord progressions and riffs give that recognizable post-punk or noise rock sound. The balance between jangly and raw guitar works is so deeply satisfying, making “Povratak U Krntiju” a treat for every true fan of the mentioned music genres. Aleksandar Jovan Krstić on flute and Dušan Petrović on everything brass exist in their own space, offering all those beautiful leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, improvisations, and other sonic maneuvers and making this material as melodic as possible. Vladimir Krakov’s experimentation with instruments like midi synth, vocoder, mandolin, and analogue drum synth is also a nice touch that works in the same way. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these layers articulate without overwhelming each other, proving that they thought about everything while working on this material.
Dušan Petrović also lands some of the finest basslines you’ll hear in alternative rock music, but they also go far beyond genre. By using a fretless bass guitar, he contributes to the jazzy feel that these songs rely upon. Each intricate, vividly hearable, warm-sounding bassline offers more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth while acting as a binding element between the mentioned instrumentations and rhyhtmic patterns. Ernest Džananović also lands those tasty, expertly arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, keeping the remainder of the band in line while dictating groove and pace. Each hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, accentuation over the hi-hat, and splash over the cymbals contribute groove, detail, depth, and complexity. Although five years have passed since Presing released “Povratak U Krntiju,” this material feels like it was released yesterday or maybe forty years ago. It’s a timeless record, a true masterpiece demonstrating how involved musicians mastered their craft to perfection. Do yourself a favor, head to Geenger Records, and grab this gem on vinyl, because records like these are considered rarity nowadays. You will be amazed!
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