Razika’s Program 91 is so named for the year all four members were born – 1991. The young Norwegians have already been playing music together since 2005, though they first became friends at the age of six. It’s the kind of bond that creates real promise, and this debut album shows off a band with serious potential and the smarts to fulfill it.
The album appropriately starts off with a song called "Youth", establishing the lighthearted, loose-yet-controlled feeling of Program 91. It’s also an invitation of sorts, with frontwoman Marie Amdam singing, "So let me share my youth tonight / Together with you." What follows is the encapsulation of a certain kind of teenage girlhood, one ruled by first romances and, more importantly, an unshakably upbeat outlook.
Program 91 moves along at a fairly brisk pace, with all but one of the eleven tracks clocking in at less than four minutes, with several under three. Razika cite The Ramones as one of their primary influences, and it’s especially clear in the more compact songs. Additionally, shades of ska appear on songs like "Vondt I Hjertet" ("Heartache") and "Taste My Dream". Bold, breezy melodies rule most of album, but there’s also versatility. "Aldri" ("Never") shows off a more finessed, mature side; the guitars are still assertive, but layered under delicate vocal harmonies. The girls get acoustic on "Walk In The Park," a wistful tale of failed young love that’s optimistic all the same. However, they’re quick to pick up the pace again with "Above All", creating a sense of resilience.
Razika are unlikely to receive the ‘bratty’ label given to so many young bands. There is little in the way of ennui or angst here. Rather, the voice established on Program 91 is matter of fact and self-aware, anticipatory of future maturity while also reveling in youth. While their sound has plenty of room to develop, there’s still all of the crisp execution expected of a Scandinavian indie pop outfit. "The things we say are not always the things we want to say," Amdam sings on "Nytt Pa Nytt" ("New on New"). However, Razika seem confident in who they are and what they mean, and that’s a solid foundation for an act that’s still growing up.
MP3 Stream: "Youth"
