Balkan Beat Box - Balkan Beat Box

Balkan Beat Box (and their eponymous album) came right as Eastern Europe started invading the American consciousness (as evidenced by the rising interest in music and literature). And their album, one of the earlier ones on the block, shows its roughness around the edges, but still has an infectious appeal. "Bulgarian Chicks," for example, wraps its gypsy horns around its vocalists -- anyone familiar with former 4AD artists Les Mystere des Voix Bulgares can attest to their power. Similarly, the Hebrew dub of "Adir Adirim" gives Matisyahu a thing or two to consider. The production tends a bit towards the lo-fi and is unpolished around the edges, but adds a certain independent edge to the album. Sometimes the cultural fusion doesn't quite cohere (the heavy guitar riffs on "Ya Man," for instance), but when they do, like on the hazy and swooning "Sunday Arak" or the speedy "Meboli," it's quite something.