Jungbluth
Lovecult

Marshall McLuhan said that the medium is the message. Borrowing this quote with due respect (mind you), I gladly adapt it to this "Lovecult" by the German Jungbluth, who have reached their second album after a very promising debut called "Part Ache" and a background that has already elevated them to a certain status quo in the underground niche of European punk. It's no secret that three-quarters of the members carry the legacy of Alpinist. However, legacy would be an unfair word, as Jungbluth is a side project (now become main) with its own coordinates, following its own path where crust roots can be faintly heard here and there, especially in this new full-length, released, as expected, completely DIY. Did I need to write that? It was obvious, but it's always better to specify because, as I was saying in reference to our dear Canadian sociologist friend, the important thing is to focus on the message itself. In this regard, Jungbluth (starting with the moniker) don't just want to show new artistic paths that remain purely on a musical level, but they want to add something with conceptual significance. Many would call it onanistic doodling; I call it attitude. And in punk, I love this to death; I can't help it.

I was talking about "Lovecult", right. But I also want to talk a bit about Walter Benjamin. I swear, I'm not doing this on purpose, I don't believe that having Karl Jangbluth's name reopened the box of memories in sociology, it's more that it's incredibly easy for me to randomly take cues to illustrate what Jungbluth want to convey with "Lovecult" in less than half an hour of clock hands. Good old Walter talked about the loss of the aura of cultural expressions, of art, about how everything was mechanizing, everything becoming reproducible, everything massifying, causing the loss of that halo of unique and unrepeatable originality that belonged to a painting, a sculpture, whatever you prefer. Jungbluth must have found fertile ground in his readings and build a highly personal perspective based on the cult value of love. On how, in modern society, a feeling that isn't really a feeling prevails, but rather a sterile synthesis of values that should possess much more verve and passion. A gradual loss that leads to the stigmatization and marginalization of the different, the minority. Yes, Erving Goffman I thank you too, there in the audience. Thus, a frame-prison is created where "Lovecult" desires to become a giant panopticon that numbs and offers itself as a palliative for all the reasons in this world. Emotions that become plastic and a commodity contribute to a sad end for contemporary reality. This is the summary of Jungbluth's thinking. All that's left is to bitterly catalyze everything into music. The differences with "Part Ache" are evident from the first listen. It's not a change of course, but there's no doubt that the trajectory has been smoothed towards more melodic solutions capable of eroding away that sandpaper of distorted and rapid riffs. There's a different spirit inside "Lovecult" and the sounds can only change.

German and English converge together (although the former remains predominantly) in a shouted style that's not at all graceful, rough, you could call it canonical, but that's fine. Occasionally, a lighthearted clean appears, which is more like a spoken interlude that serves as a useful segue to launch the sonic shift that develops homogeneously throughout each piece of this "Lovecult". There's a healthy and crystalline personality in every choice made. Like it or not, not everything convinces me, so credit must be given to the guys from Münster for this. The punk swerves have a disillusioned and nostalgic flavor, but are not oppressive at all. The identity Jungbluth plays with is knowing how to be skillful magicians who enjoy making uneven rhythms prevail once, then atmospherically delicate interludes as in "Lokalkolorit", or even having fragments of acid post-punk that emerge thanks to relentless bass work that pulses, pulses, and pulses. It's a decidedly direct approach and not so abrasive, always tempered by refrains that dialogue with engaging melodies that play at appearing and disappearing, much like human relationships that Jungbluth scrutinize with such little rationality. They express what they think, thoughtfully yes, but genuinely and this can be heard musically. There's no need to elaborate, re-read, analyze, it's all very simple and well blended to create the ultimate recipe where there's room for the empathic explosion of lyrics that also reference Thoreau. Back to basics.

This "Lovecult" won't be a revolution, but it's an album that succeeds in doing damn well what it has to do, that is, punk. Yes, not in the traditional sense of the term, in fact, you'll find splashes here and there of influences from neighboring music scenes. What is certain is that it can offer you a noteworthy listening experience, even capable of making you reflect (if you wish) on the theme tackled in the backbone of the ten compositions; plunging the work back into the ancient dichotomy between lyrical aspect and musical aspect. Jungbluth consistently demonstrate that it's entirely possible to carry forward both things, without distorting anything, but simply by opening your mind a bit.