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Anyone who's been to a Bar Mitzvah or any other traditional Jewish celebration knows that despite being assigned typically un-punk instruments like violins, accordions, and trombones, Jewish music is a barn-burning blast that can tear it up just as hard as any guitar-based power-chord thrashing. Surf-king Dick Dale knew it when he released his hyper-kinetic rendition of "Hava Nagila" in 1963, but despite such early nods and the studious work since by avant-garde innovators like John Zorn and his Tzadik label, it seems that this genre's moment has only now arrived in such a way that it could be identified as a solid trend.
The past year has seen the ascent of Gogol Bordello who draw from Eastern European Roma music that shares a common lineage with Jewish Klezmer; David Krakauer's revelatory Bubbemeises, which sees the renowned clarinetist gracefully merging Klezmer and hip-hop; and now New York City's Golem, whose album Fresh Off Boat is a pure, unadulterated Klezmer rave-up that provides a straight-up look into the heart of the music.
Fresh Off Boat is both very inviting and beguilingly detached. While Golem asserts they are a Klezmer-punk band, there's very little indication they are attempting any kind of cross-cultural fusion or accommodation. The album is raucous, energetic, and quite punchy, but definitely still rooted in the sounds of Warsaw, Prague, and Krakow. Listeners looking for a comfortable, approachable introduction to this scene might find Fresh Off Boat somewhat daunting, but if one is willing to immerse themselves in the folk-tales of far-off lands and emotive Yiddish exclamations, the album is sure to satisfy.
Right from the opening track, "Ushti Baba," it's clear that Golem is setting the terms of the relationship, charging full-throttle into an old Balkan Gypsy wedding song. Don't worry about being confused by the old-world concepts of dowries and arranged marriages; none of it is in English. Sit back, and let the rhythms of the instruments and vocals convey the urgency. Once the subtleties begin to sink in, the rest of the journey ahead will be easy to understand. Violinist Alicia Jo Rabins and accordionist Annette Ezekiel find themselves at the top of the mix quite a bit, turning somber, sour vignettes like "The Rent" into carefree jaunts of fanciful pleasure or absolutely killing on "Golem Hora," the album's most exuberant and intense party propellant.
Going by the subject matter of the songs on Fresh Off Boat, you might conclude that all Eastern European Jews did was get married, endure economic hardship, and dance themselves dizzy; whether or not that truly was the case, it's safe to say that anyone with an open mind, big heart, and love of passionate musical expression will find plenty to celebrate in Golem's music. |
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