Gypsy Punk
CD REVIEW Gogol Bordello’s
Super Taranta (2007)
Pile a sauna with beer and mushrooms, then drink a case of wine; borrow some underwear and wait for a half-naked dancing bear to crawl out of a vent overhead. He will be Eugene Hutz, his moustache will be rich and full, and you will know him by his terrible joy. A Gogol Bordello CD is an audio recording of a circus, a shiny echo that can’t capture the gypsy punk band’s lunatic energy, but Super Taranta is still fine to dance to pantless while you burn cars.
The group’s popularity has rightly soared since the release of this cerebrally softened, fluorescent hole to the Wonderland of their full catalogue, and it’s easy to see why: the writing is more lucid, the production cleaner, and the sound more pop than before. If coated Gogol goes down easier, fine, swallow with me, brothers and sisters; but afterwards, go back and eat the bitter herbs. You will be rewarded.
- Lev Bratishenko