Sacart is a 5-piece from Russia dealing with Post-Punk; there is little info about them, and I guess that this EP is their first after a single, even though their live-set contains other songs. It seems that the band has added a 5th member as keyboardist who isn't credited in the booklet and the group has been playing several clubs in the last two years.
The lyrics of "Show of Doubts" seem vague and sometimes hazed, but we could say they touch topics as rights and rules, life issues, memories, feelings, love and sexual excitement.
The cover artwork comes from a modernist, cryptic painting and differs a lot from today's trend of overproduced Photoshopped album covers, which makes it stand out. The production is not weird or unusual but it's amazingly professional: powerful, crystal-clear, balanced and allowing all instruments to be heard. Definitely a big help when the songwriting is minimalistic, so that details emerge without efforts from the listener.
"Intro" is a fairly brief instrumental actual song, growing in intensity after the very beginning based only upon bass and a melancholic guitar, whereas "Genesis" enjoys an immediate lively opening; this composition of riveting Indie Rock contains occasional background soft noises and sees the guitar protagonist as for riffs, licks and the short final solo, while the voice remains gentle all the time.
Kicking off in a way not distant from some material from No Means No, "When We Appear" quickly changes to Indie Rock and then Ska, adding magnetic vocals close to Clash's. There's a melodic break with piano lines and shortly after a guitar and a bass reminding of Red Hot Chilli Peppers before turning back Ska with the addition of a Post-Punk guitar.
It's not exaggerate to say that "Permanency" deals with Progressive Punk, displaying the finest vocals of the EP. There're also dreamy and positive keyboard lines and a marvellous refrain which is worth buying the CD together with the groovy bass lines.
A bit longer than the other tracks, "Doubt" recurs to propedeutic drumming before the spirited Melodic Punk structure embellished by the grace and class of the rural guitar during the refrain. I've got goose-bumps every time I listen to this song, as easy as it is incredibly penetrating into the soul.
17 minutes may not be enough to judge a band, but from what I heard the Russian act possess a great deal of original ideas, well played and perfectly recorded. Although a bit shady on some occasions, yet never gloomy, Sacart's music turns out to be an effective therapy against sadness and pessimism. Well, done!
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