Sound: Spastic, danceable Brit-punk with jagged riffs and wandering guitar melodies.
Vocals: Jump around between aggressive screaming, yelping falsetto, atmospheric crooning and rousing choruses.
Playlist Partners: Bloc Party, The Jam, Franz Ferdinand, Modern English, At the Drive-In
Heavy Rotation tracks: none
Medium Rotation tracks: “Nine”; “Thirteen”; “Twelve” (Yes, every song title on the album is a number)
Recommended: Forward Russia’s energy and ambitious musical range scores them points, but Give Me A Wall often feels a little too schizophrenic for its own good – particularly the erratic vocals. Their high-profile contemporaries and elder influences have done each individual style represented here better.
Grade: C+

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