The Netherlands

theex27pass

27 passports almost like 27 long years or cca. 27 albums… great new CD (56 min) by The Ex flew in. It took some time for new vocalist / guitarist Arnold de Boer to fit inside well oiled band-machine. Or it could rather be that some fans needed more time to accept G. W. Sok’s departure from The Ex. His (anarcho-syndicalist poet on the dole) vocals (and word play) used to be band’s signature as much as Terrie’s sharp sounding guitar strings’ wrangling and Katherina’s style of drumming.

OK then, on “27 Passports” Arnold de Boer shines like he’s been one of super-fit The Ex veteran musicians for decades. Looking back and re-listening, “Catch My Shoe” (2010) brought along inspired energetic playing and complex songs but as an album in its entirety partly suffers from excessive length. Perhaps I slightly more prefer sax led “Y’Anbessaw Tezeta” (2012; Getachew Mekuria w / The Ex ) & “Enormous Door” (2013; The Ex & Brass Unbound). It might be too early to say definitively but “27 Passports” appears to be even better product than all of these recent The Ex issues! (although “Y’Anbessaw Tezeta” collaboration belongs to a league of its own).

Take off you old Doc Martens shoes (with slippery soles) and dance barefoot! Wait wait wait … ček ček čekaj … Teške se kiše spremaju. Kroz tvoj se prozor samo jablani vide. Nad gradom munje sijevaju. A doma nema goluba da te miluje.

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