The Albanian Connection

29/03/2024Tel Aviv's Yummi Wisler Guitar Combo Takes A Magnificent Instrumental Swing At Cinematic Crime Sounds
 

Once again, the days are getting longer and spring is in the air, luring us out of our homes and inviting us to explore the verdant environs. Also, it's the long Easter weekend here in Germany, which has inspired many to hit the road and venture out even farther. Enter the fitting cinematic score to a bit of good ol' musical escapism, rather enticingly titled "The Albanian Connection". Out on Tel Aviv-based independent label Raw Tapes, said release is the adventurous debut effort by the Yummi Wisler Guitar Combo, consisting of the trio's namesake on guitar alongside Amir Bresler on drums and Gilad Abro on bass and produced by the notorious Rejoicer.

"After years of writing political punk songs, the most vulnerable thing Yummi Wisler felt he could do was abandon words altogether" and go fully instrumental. Forging a path of his own, borrowing this and that from a wide array of genres spanning "Spaghetti Western soundtracks, psychedelia, Gershwin ballads, surf rock and film noir" and combining them with a deep-seated Mediteranean twang, the eleven album tracks are "sunshine in a bag" – to quote the Gorillaz on Clint Eastwood. "The Albanian Connection" is like something straight out of the Spy vs. Spy playbook, reminiscent of an obscure crime-themed library record or simply the thrilling audio companion to the latest Guy Ritchie flick.

On this thoroughly engaging debut longplayer, special agent Yummi Wisler and his highly trained collaborators take a magnificent swing at recreating a sound very much familiar to tell a story very much their own, including the occasional plot twist. You might want to grab some popcorn for this one as you try to figure out what really went down. It's off to Albania then, is it?

AUTHOR: Lev Nordstrom