Using the break from touring presented by the covid lockdowns to perfect songs that didn’t make it onto their 2017 release, “Seekers and Finders”, the undisputed monarchs of New York Gypsy Punk in Gogol Bordello are back with a new album.
As ever, it is packed with all kinds of weirdness, Eastern-European-meets-Latin-American fusion, social commentary, and anthems to freedom fighters worldwide. Drawing inspiration also from the current war in Ukraine, the native country of frontman Eugene Hutz, Gogol Bordello are back with a vengeance.
Solidaritine is, immediately, notably heavier than the band’s previous offering, marking a slight return to the folk-punk fusion that catapulted the band to success; yet lyrically, Hutz still manages to deliver a message of unity and togetherness, even in wartime, during opener “Shot of Solidaritine”. “Focus Coin” quickly follows, a catchy and upbeat song about the world running rampant with unfounded conspiracy theories, which also happened to be the first single released from the album – and one of the more memorable new songs debuted on the band’s summer European tour earlier this year.
Generally speaking, Solidaritine takes a darker note lyrically than previous albums from the band – which mostly told stories of immigrant punk diaspora in a zany and weird way; yet here we are treated with stories of refugees and wartime – understandable given the current political climate in Europe. Yet it starkly contrasts with the “Roaring 2020s” attitude the band put forward a mere year ago. However, “Take Only That Which You Can Carry With You” also provides backing vocalist Ashley Tobias a chance to take the spotlight and shine with an emotional vocal delivery on her first studio album with the band – despite already sharing the stage with Gogol Bordello for half a decade.
Other throwbacks and homages do subtly make their way into the band’s new songs as well, with a remake of “Forces of Victory” from 2007’s Super Taranta! fusing Ukrainian lyrics with a previous back-catalogue song to propel it into the frontlines as a European victory anthem; whilst the guitar riff in “Fire On Ice Floe” is not-so subtly reminiscent of “Sidi H’bibi” by Manu Chao – who the band have covered before and draw inspiration from.
Solidaritine, or solidarity, then, is something that we should all feel with the band who travelled to Ukraine during the middle of Russia’s war to show their own solidarity with the soldiers fighting for Europe’s freedom. As an album, it marks a subtle return to the band’s punkier roots whilst also taking a darker departure lyrically from the band’s previous work; yet also attempts to shine as a beacon of hope for the future.