I've never been one to get in an uproar if one of my favorite bands doesn't remain exactly the same throughout their entire career. I welcome change in my bands, and love when they grow and evolve along with my maturing tastes in music. Still, there's a significant step forward that I can gush over and defend from the naysayers, and there's a small baby step that I just sort of acknowledge as a good thing to start. This is the latter.
When I saw Gogol Bordello live a couple years ago, I had to shove my way from the front of the crowd, back to the bar where my friend was waiting with water multiple times. I was drenched in sweat and could hardly breath, because the energy that the band brought to the stage was met, and quadrupled by the crowd. With this release, they seem to be taking a step away from punk, toward indie. It might very well translate to a high-energy stage show still, but on record it sounds like a baby step, heading toward something much greater.
Eugene Hutz and crew have an easy direction they could go and I'd be waiting there with open ears. DeVotchKa has formed a sound that I could easily imagine Gogol Bordello taking on, and I would absolutely love every minute of it. Trans-Continental Hustle sounds like a mid-way point for the band, though. I enjoyed it well enough, and I'm sure the songs will sound great live, but it isn't the old stuff I love, and it isn't a great new sound that I'm excited before. Still, it's a solid enough record to recommend.
Score: 3 out of 5
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