A fresh punk rock breeze is blowing from the north!
Admittedly, I didn't just come across the last album by the three guys from Hamburg, Psypirinha, yesterday; it has been sitting on my desk for a while, and until now, I haven't had the time to write something about it. However, if I didn't do it, you would miss out on a lot, as the album is definitely too good to go unmentioned!
I first got to see the gentlemen at a concert in Stralsund in 2008, very nice guys, as I could ascertain after a few beers with them. In January of this year, I saw them again in Berlin at the Battle to Resist (a band competition where the winning band secures an opener slot at the Resist to Exist festival). In my opinion, Psypirinha absolutely does not need such band competitions, as I am quite skeptical about such contests anyway. In any case, the guys handed me their then-latest work "Open Words" on this occasion.
Psypirinha has now been around for nine years; they recorded their first album "Infektionsgefahr" in 2007, followed by the 2008 EP "Eiskalt genießen", and have already shared stages with the successors of Daily Terror (Daily Terroristen) and the Bottrops. Everything is handmade, all released independently under the motto Do It Yourself, because no one else will do it for you, without a label or booking agency.
I had to take some time to get into the new album "Open Words". I experienced the same with Psypirinha's previous works. The guys don't seem to favor simple song structures; no, there is definitely a lot happening here, not only overall on the CD but also in the individual songs. Frequently changing drum beats and guitar melodies form the solid foundation for their songs. According to their own description, Psypirinha produces Deutschpunk. I would only partially agree with that. One can certainly agree on metal-tinged punk rock with some fun-punk attitude, which is also reflected in the band's rather broad lyrical spectrum. Dark themes like school shootings are addressed (“Fahrt ins Schwarze”), but also topics that could fit more with the early Ärzte, such as a song about a bicycle that now belongs to an ex-girlfriend (“Fahrradlied”).
When singer Tom doesn't sing "normally" at some points but rather at full volume, it strongly reminds me of Zaunpfahl. Those fast songs suit Psypirinha much better than slow songs like “5 vor 12,” where the vocals often sit well beside the actual notes and thus sound off-key. The slow songs on "Open Words" tend to drag on quite a bit and are often not particularly exciting. Therefore, the highlights of the album are definitely the faster songs like “Fahrt ins Schwarze” or “Traum im Schlaf.” Unfortunately, the lyrical design sometimes feels a bit forced: a lot of text in a small space, and some things could have been phrased differently. Otherwise, the album shines with diverse influences; for example, the first song features an electric organ and strings (I wonder if they also come from a box…) and notable artists were brought on board for "Open Words": brass parts were recorded by trombonist Gero, who, according to the booklet, also proves his long breath on the instrument with Rantanplan. The very good production of the album should not go unmentioned: it is very cleanly produced, sounds quite powerful, nicely bass-heavy, and especially the guitar sound in the punk numbers is very pleasing to me.
Ultimately, a good mix of classic punk rock, demanding song structures, fun-punk-ska influences, and metal passages.
Pros:
“Fahrt ins Schwarze” – in my opinion, the most representative for the guys. Check it out at www.myspace.com/psypirinha2008.
Cons:
Over half a minute long intros or interludes – that’s nice for the musicians, but for the listener, it can become a bit monotonous over time.
Conclusion:
Psypirinha is an excellent alternative for all those who enjoy Frustkiller or the early Zaunpfahl and similar bands. If you are not convinced by the last Zaunpfahl album titled “Frauen” (which is quite understandable), you should give Psypirinha a try.
