Soviet Soviet
Fate
Felte
Street: 11.11
Soviet Soviet = Tubeway Army + The Spits + Bloc Party
When Fate begins, the full richness of the music, along with the double-time dance beat, doesn’t prepare me for the voice of Alessandro Costantini. It’s not that his voice doesn’t mesh well with the overall sound—it does. It’s perfect for the crunchy bass that sits on the forefront of the album’s mixes, allowing the guitars to create texture or melodic leads reminiscent of Holograms’ synth work. I just didn’t expect a voice almost indistinguishable from that of Gary Numan’s on any Tubeway Army track. The similarity really sinks in by Fate’s fourth track, “Further,” as Costantini sings, “And you tell me why, you tell me why,” breaking the second “why” into two syllables and two notes—a vocal maneuver not skimped on throughout the album. –Steve Richardson