Javva are a young band from Poland. They are comprised of Bartek Kapsa who handles the percussive duties, Łukasz Twix Jędrzejczak who takes on all the vocal duties present, alongside effects and keyboards, Mikołaj Zieliński on bass and backing vocals, and Piotrek Bukowski on guitar. Today Javva premieres their full-length debut album, which is titled Balance of Decay, released through Antena Krzyku records. The album artwork is quite telling of what you may expect to find on this record, while not giving away too much. The lively colored, almost fractalized baboon, with a third eye and a deadpan stare, is more reflective of the psychedelic nuances you will encounter across the record. Alright, so you may be wondering what else is there in store, and more importantly, what does psychedelic even mean when dished out vaguely like that?
Balance of Decay is first and foremost one of those albums that fully does justice to the modern age and place we all live in. How? Well, it does away with the oh so obsolete notion that records should embrace just one style and stick with it. There is quite literally a myriad of influences and elements that coalesce almost seamlessly into a blend that feels unique and authentic. Across the album, we see how the action shifts between classic ‘rock in opposition’, psychedelic rock, some sort of proggy fusion laden with Hammond sounding keys, straight up noise rock, and some good old indie. It doesn’t stop there though, as there’s some heavily tribal percussion that oozes in throughout various parts of the songs, sometimes even making up most of the percussive groove.
The vocal delivery strays away from your classic melodic style, going for more of a percussive edge, complementing the catchy bass grooves nicely on certain parts. Sometimes this delivery will just be straight up haptic, in accordance with the underlying instrumental – you guessed it – that’s the improv-esque noise-rock tinge. The arrangements don’t fail to keep the listener’s attention fully on board, as there is plenty of diversity, and the transitions between the varying bits are made quite tastefully. Not to mention that the production value really makes everything pop vibrantly all around. Each song has a special charm, and there aren’t really two songs which could be the same. Whether you look at the catchy and lively tunes on “Pad Eye Remover”, the tripped out and moody soundscapes found on “Bangau”, or even the oddly charming and surreal textures of “Erebus”, there is simply no shortage of great moments.
Put simply, if you’re looking for some fairly easily digestible, engaging, eclectic, energetic, and forward thinking tunes, I don’t think you could be in any better place. Javva will hook you right up with their special mix and you will just love it. Also, don’t be distraught by how short Balance of Decay is. It packs quite some kick under the hood, and it’s alright, there’s no filler – you only get that mean, lean muscle.
