writhaus

One of the harder things to do when abroad is dig into indigenous music. Sure, you want a taste of culture while you are abroad, but what happens after a certain period of time is you realize you just want things that are familiar and in a language you understand.

But then you wonder, “Why? Am I not supposed to be embracing the people around me?” Then, revitalized, you dig back in and see what your new surroundings have to offer.

It was with that in mind that I picked up the 2006 release by Russian pop act Авиатор titled Мания (that’s Aviator – Mania for the non Cyrillic readers). When in Rome, right?

The lead single gives the album its title. In all honesty, it isn’t bad. It’s kind of rhythmic without having music that interferes with the repeating of key lyrics. Sadly, as the album progresses, the sound stays the same. I’d like to see the band take some chances. You know, mix it up a little. It’s not like Nickelback, but it could be one day with more studio polish…and that’s a bad thing.

Overall the album wasn’t a waste. It’s enjoyable. It doesn’t offend. It’s sure to drive teenage Ukrainian girls crazy. I think that’s all it’s designed to do. If my Russian was better, I might give a better or worse rating, but as it stands, this disc is a solid C+.

With that said, I did see a fun video by these guys with attractive women on a beach. If I can that cd, maybe it would get a higher rating. Only time will tell, I suppose.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 30th, 2007 at 4:42 pm and is filed under Reviews - Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.