And This Is How Other People See Us

/…/ Another unknown band were the Superbrands, but only nominally – the core of this relatively new band (they have been on the scene for only a year) is a duo that used to play in the long gone, but once rather promising band Thee Larche (a somewhat older generation probably remembers that excellent britpop band from Sveti Križ Začretje, noticed not only by the Croatian magazine Heroina, but also by the Melody Maker).

Several years after their disappearance from the scene, which were (probably) spent in studying, getting a job, and growing up, Adi (vocal/guitar) and Hrvoje (guitar-and-only-then-vocal) decided to found another band – and what a band! Their very entry on stage made it clear that they had long years of experience in their feet, that stage fright was unknown to them, and that earnestness and professionalism were the qualities for which any concert organizer would probably want them in his or her programme.

And I do not mean only their music, but also the way in which they introduced themselves in an interview immediately before the concert. The KSET team, which had organized the festival, had an interview with each of the bands and then uplodaded the talks to their YouTube site. And while some of the bands sounded rather erratic and even uninterested in these interviews, Superbrands gave some very interesting statements that I would certainly recommend you to have a look at.

They describe themselves as a sort of ‘joyful Morrissey, thoughful Oasis, Interpol in sunnier shades, indie-Beatles, and smiling Joy Division’. Judging from what I saw at the concert, they seem to resemble the (more) joyful Smiths and especially the dark(er) Editors (“Come (to Hyde Park)”, “So This Is Love”), but there was no Oasis whatsoever and only traces of The Beatles (the part when Adi sat down at the piano, which, by the way, I liked the least – guitars are their true ‘forte’ after all).

There is no doubt that Superbrands, despite their demo-status, are already a mature band and I do not see how anything could prevent them from reaching the very top of the Croatian indie scene in due time – if they go on playing like this.

Lana Bunjevac, via Muzika.hr