Formed in Prishtina in 1997, Sansara came together in the middle of the city’s hardest decade, and released their album Welcome To Pristina in 2003, a few years after the war. As we wrote in our guide to Prishtina’s music, the post-war years were when a new generation of bands started recording on their own terms, often shaped by whatever radio and CDs they could get their hands on. For Sansara, that clearly meant 90s Britpop and neo-psychedelia. But Welcome To Pristina is far more than an imitation.
The album kicks off with Ka Kohë Që Më Duhesh Ti, which is very 90s and 00s, with alt-rock guitars, Britpop vocals and tight drumming. The backing vocals almost have a 60s beat-group feel to them: very English, and a little cheesy! It’s slightly unserious and fun, but in a good, light and positive way, and it sets the tone for the record.
Bulevardi is a soft, warm pop-rock track with a surprising jazz and Latin touch. Then Banesa Në Katin E Parë continues in a similar way. It’s a bit like Pulp: poppy, jangly and light, but catchy and singable, with something of slacker rock about it too. Urban, jazzy and melancholic but warm, it’s one of my favourite tracks on the record.
Fabrika E Modeleve Plastike brings in harmonica, adding a real Britpop feel. But it’s Fashion (Shifra Ime!?) where the album really surprises. It moves into something funkier and more psychedelic, with fuzzy bass and organ, before switching into a new wave chorus. I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like it before, and it’s a definite highlight.
The second half leans further into the neo-psychedelic side. Edhe Dielli Ka Rreze is folky and lush, with soft, velvety vocals, tightly plucked guitar and atmospheric synths. It’s a hazy throwback to the 60s and 70s that, strangely, reminded me of Brazilian MPB. Talentët E Rinj is similarly psychedelic and hazy.
Then there’s Ti Nuk Ke Faj!, a catchy, anthemic track with a hook that will lodge itself in your head, alongside a nostalgic violin. It’s hopeful and uplifting, almost pop punk in spirit, but without the cringey immaturity. The closer, POPTV, is another upbeat, pop-punk-leaning track that’s catchy and fun. For me, these last two tracks sum up the whole record: it’s a band enjoying themselves, perhaps slightly self-indulgent, but still creating a set of enjoyable, interesting, and catchy songs that deserve a place on your playlist. Coming just a few years after the war, the record defines joy as an act of resistance.
Welcome To Pristina is a great record: well produced, unpredictable and genuinely inventive. After the serious, atmospheric sound of por-nó’s Kokë Plot Fotografi, Sansara take a completely different direction. They wear their influences proudly on their sleeve, but take those ideas and expand on them, creating something that’s interesting, catchy and enjoyable all at once. It could well be my favourite record from Kosovo so far.
A final note: I don’t speak Albanian, so I’m reviewing the sound rather than the lyrics. If you know what these songs are about, I’d love to hear from you.
Rate and review the album on the EX-YU Music archive.
