Soviet Soviet is one of the first bands I’ve encountered that’s been denied entry into the U.S. …. and on a technicality. Of course, there’s been others. But given the current political climate, this feels a little different.
The Italian trio were supposed to perform at South by Southwest last year. Their paperwork seemed in order. They had approved travel authorization for performing a series of free promotional shows. But Homeland Security was under the impression their performances would charge attendees. So instead of being admitted, they were greeted with long interrogations, handcuffs, some jail time, and then subsequent deportation. You can read more about it here.
Maybe DHS didn’t take kindly to the name, although there’s irony in that. Or maybe they were just being dicks. Whatever the reason, I can’t help but be more than a little pissed off by it. I realize some time has passed since this occurred. Still, I don’t take kindly to oppressive forces fucking with the arts, particularly when it involves music.
Anyway, here I was thinking I’d start this post about how much I identify with a post-punk-inspired song titled “Endless Beauty.” I absolutely love that notion, because it’s an ideal I’d like to think many of us strive for. Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. You might call that enlightenment, happiness, fulfillment, bliss, etc. Whatever it is, you get the general gist. And it’s quite the opposite of the negative experience Soviet Soviet encountered upon their (denied) debut here in the states.
These Italians have been crafting energetic guitar rock for the last decade, crashing right out of the gate with each rapid-fire composition. There’s bits of shoegaze, vintage alternative, retro new wave, and post-punk, post-rock, and post-this-or-that. It’s all high-octane in tempo, infused with sonic crescendos of crashing reverberation. Yet, it never exceeds its limits, avoiding cacophony in favor of harmonic indulgence.
“Endless Beauty” is a prime example of this. It feels like a shot of adrenalin wrapped in a veil of pure aural ecstasy. Yet it never feels too rushed, nor overdone. It’s more like a moment of spontaneous epiphany, frozen and shaped into a sustained melody of celebratory sound.
That seems like a fitting way to summarize Soviet Soviet’s “Endless Beauty.” I’m just hoping one day, they’ll be able to bring there sound stateside, provided the powers-that-be didn’t completely discourage them from ever wanting to come here again.
Until then, here’s some “Endless Beauty” to tie things over in the interim.
“Endless Beauty” from the 2016 album “Endless.”
