Gogol Bordello

Super Taranta!

[4/5]

On previous discs, Gogol Bordello’s Eastern European punk-folk craziness seemed to lose much of its sweat and ferocity once recorded. Onstage, frontman Eugene Hutz is a whirling ball of plasma, psyching up his audience but more importantly, vibing up his bandmates like a one-man pep rally. Fortunately, the Victor Van Vugt-produced Super Taranta! goes a long way in repairing the disconnect, with a sonic range encapsulating mosh mazurkas, dubby detours and rave-ups that would appeal to your grandparents at the SNPJ club’s Sunday afternoon picnics. Lyrically, Hutz takes on everything from God (“Super Theory Of Super Everything”), his proud citizenship of planet Earth (“Tribal Connection”), personal hobbies (“Alcohol”) and combating boredom (“American Wedding”), giving listeners reasons to smile, sweat and salute over. Bud’mo! (SIDEONEDUMMY ) Jason Pettigrew