PLASTIC BARRICADES - "Self-Theories" Exclusive Review!

Music is not only a form of art or entertainment; there is much more behind this kind of artistic expression, more volatile and untangible, yet probably the most powerful of its functions. While most artists nowadays create music to chase the digital platform algorithms, others know the real importance of what they create, prioritizing the meaning behind their art. Intense, emotional, passionate, fragile yet timeless, Plastic Barricades gave us an incredible gift with their latest release! I’ve been waiting for an album like “Self-Theories” for a long time, and finally, it arrived to save what good was left from this 2020!

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Plastic Barricades is a talented duo between London and Paris and consists of Dan Kert on guitars and vocals and Paul Love on drums and production. Written and recorded in a backyard shed in North-West London, “Self-Theories” has been mixed by Paul, and mastered by Andy Baldwin at Metropolis Studios in London. The dynamic duo has a unique approach when it comes to creating their music. Introspective and contemplative, their style is a blend of the best indie-pop, alternative-rock fueled by a strong artistic sensibility, incredible songwriting skills, and influences that span from legends such as Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Oasis, Coldplay, to Muse, Death Cab for Cutie, Placebo, Snow Patrol, The Shins, to name a few!

“Self-Theories” is a great release that follows Plastic Barricades’ first LP, “Mechanics of Life,” out in 2017. From the opening track, “Tunnel,” we can feel the duo’s excellent taste for melodies and catchy rhythms. This single, supported by a great video realized with clips made using a digital microscope, leaves the listener in awe, mesmerized by the music and hypnotized by the clips’ visive impact. The album’s second single, “Optimist,” is the perfect blend of alternative rock and indie pop, with some progressive twists that make the sound even more captivating. “Optimist” is supported once again by a real eyecatching video, where 300+ plastic “actors” float and twist into a big fish tank, more or less the same way we all float through life, trying to do our best with our “Self-Theories,” while being, somehow, victims of circumstances.

“Self-Theories” is such an impeccable album that you need to listen to it several times to notice all the shades of colors, arrangements, sound choices made by Dan and Paul. Talented musicians and refined artists, they managed to create more than an album, but a vivid picture of our society, pointing the spotlight on our deepest thoughts, fear, failures, and successes, a precise collection of all those self-theories we create in our mind to find strength and comfort, but also to help us in all those choices that define us through our deeds and actions. In their album, we can find gems like the introspective “Don’t Follow Me!,” the beautiful vocal melodies of “Glaring Screens,” the liberating vibes, brilliant lyrics, and Dan’s outstanding vocal performance in “Weightless,” the energetic “Right To Be Adored,” “Spectators,” and the engaging third single “One For The Road,” with its beautiful vintage video clip.

Some other gems we can find in this incredible release are “Game Of Numbers” and “The Great Unknown,” with their beautiful guitar riffs and arpeggios and Paul’s excellent drumming, the real rhythmic engine of the album. To close the release, we can also appreciate two demo versions of “Everyone Is Busy” and “Final Chance,” two great tracks that confirm once again the versatility and vulcanic creativity of Plastic Barricades. A big Brava also goes to Elina Pasok for the great photos and artwork. “Self-Theories” is a fantastic release that shows this duo’s talent, potential, and artistic maturity, and we can’t wait for their next release!