Hiperbole
Visu Laiku Topai

Uh-oh! It has been pointed out to us that this review also appears (in whole or in part) on http://www.theemptydream.it/post/2011/05/21/Hiperbole-Visu-Laiku-Topai.aspx

And now you may be wondering: what made you think of looking for stuff like this, coming from the distant and unknown Lithuania (oh, do they sing up there, too?), with a title that's almost unpronounceable and vaguely esoteric?

Simple, for two reasons. One, very personal: I like languages and linguistics, and listening to something in the most archaic language in Europe, which some still consider mutually intelligible with ancient Indo-European, is a dream come true. The second, much more relatable: I like music, in its richest forms of quality, in its most hidden and successful aspects, even if relegated to the most absolute muteness of one of the continent’s most hidden places.

The title, which should mean roughly "All Time Charts", refers to a double CD containing, precisely, the best hits of the Lithuanian group, active during the '70s and '80s, and released in '95 by, believe it or not, Bomba Records.

Yes, high quality. It is the exact definition: amidst the mist of compositions that may sound approximate, delicate in their intentional non-specificity, there are some that I personally would place in the top 50 of the last thirty years. Take for example "Sugrižk" (Return), a slow ballad with a moving, touching refrain, endearingly unpleasant in the lyrics, carefree in a chorus where thunder and lightning stand out. Or "Balsas Atminciai" (Voice of Memory), a measured yet explosive warm song, perfect for vinyl, for when you return home after an evening of work and place your raincoat on a chair while switching on the stereo. "Pamiršk Mane" (Forget Me), a song that enriches, and not by a little, one’s culture...

Certainly, nestled among these, is a series of songs that I have no hesitation in frankly defining as fillers (and in a top chart this is honestly indicative of the not-so-excellent quality of the authors, who never became famous outside of Lithuania): "Kelio Pradžia", "Kodel", "Vejo Balade", do not add much to what has been said, though they are not poorly executed.

Better, however, this time in CD number 2, "Vasara", the carefree "Išgalvotas Gyvenimas" (Imaginary Life), the honest "Aitenu" and "Pakeleiviai", counterparts to the simple, unrefined but direct "Ieškosiu Taves" (I Will Search for You).

In conclusion, one cannot certainly say they've found the musical love of their life, after stumbling upon Hiperbole. But the value of certain discoveries, true archaeology of alien worlds, can be related to the culture such a rarity can represent, and not just the purely artistic value, which is certainly not low, of our Baltic friends.