A new chapter in the book of "bands with an unpronounceable name." The Moldovans Zdob si Zdub (well, try it some three times in series!) come along with a motley mixture of styles on BASTA MAFIA , which could overtax one or the other auditor, as me, at least to some extent.
Fans of the Eurovision Song Contest (who seem to exist in fact in heaps of people for reasons I don’t understand) should know the band. The Moldovan five appeared there yet two times in 2005 and 2011. Last year the boys played the track "So Lucky", which is represented on this album too. Humor and irony are essential ingredients of BASTA MAFIA, the band does not take itself too seriously, and the consumer shouldn’t either.
The music ranges from folk in the local dialect as in "Haiduk" to the indie polka sound of "Trece Vremea Omului" to the electro-pop of "Running". But also well done western romance like "Nistru" is conveyed formidably. I could well imagine this track on the soundtrack of the upcoming Tarantino movie (probably supposed to be a neo-western!). "Basta Mafia" is bringing back memories of the iconic "Der Familie Popolski" [formerly known as 'The Pops']. Not every song is convincing, some things are just too fancy. Strange, but not bad at all!
Conclusion: You should have a certain addiction to good cross over music, to warm up to BASTA MAFIA. This humorous blend of ska, polka, alternative pop, folk and indie rock should certainly not be suitable for everyone. Those of us, who do not think in musical categories, can listen definitely to the motley mix of styles from BASTA MAFIA once in a while. Because one thing about this music is certain: This music makes fun!
Play tips:
"Running", "Eternal Kiss", "Gipsy Life", "Nistru".
Track list:
1. Basta Mafia
2. Running
3. Eternal Kiss
4. Gipsy Life
5. We are free
6. Maria
7. Haiduk
8. Trece Vremea Omului
9. Nistru
10. Good Bye
11. F-S-S-O
12. The holy Fuel
13. So lucky
Author: http://www.hardharderheavy.de Translation: Berthold Stern
A big thank you to Berthold Stern who translated the review from German to English
The review can be found here
