Belaya Polosa [CD], Molchat Doma, CD

Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group Molchat Doma have always exuded the kind ofbrutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It's cold, gray, imposing,industrial-and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake oftheir breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the nadirof an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into theirnew home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album Belaya Polosa, a testamentto change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the '90s, and a technicolorreinvention of the band's somber dancefloor anthems.From the opening synth swell and drum machine throb of "Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh' Kto Ya," tothe goth / post-punk austerity of "Son", to the swirling electronic textures mixed with reverbdrenched guitar flourishes, expansive space, and yearning vocals of title track "Belaya Polosa"- that suggests Depeche Mode at their most reflective or The Cure at their most downtrodden - to the sultry and seductive "Chernye Cvety"- a track reminiscent of Duran Duran'searly '90s output in it's fusion of dreamy guitars and authoritative mechanized beats - andthe interwoven layers of instrumentation, soaring chorus, and melodic sophistication of "YaTak Ustal", it's clear that Molchat Doma are operating on another level.Molchat Doma gained following with earlier albums that sound like third-generation bootlegs of banned recordings from the Eastern Bloc made after a few key entries in the FactoryRecords catalog were smuggled in from the West. Belaya Polosa propels them into a new direction while retaining their cold minimalist delivery they're known for. The basement grimeand dirty tape-head sound of their previous work are now making space for digital luster andshimmering production values.And while Molchat Doma's broadened aural spectrum adds a synesthetic power to BelayaPolosa, the mood remains rooted in stark and unflinching self-reflection. Molchat Domaretain the duality of being both cold and feverish in their delivery while pushing their musicinto expanded territories through an armory of new textures. The trio continue to harnessthe sound of harrowing beauty thriving under harsh realities.