The members of Helsinki, Finland's Kesa may have roots in hardcore-oriented acts like Lighthouse Project, Ills, and Total Recall, but their self-titled debut full-length actually consists of strikingly impressive post-punk - seemingly inspired by early (and possibly obscure) shades of the genre. Kesa really nails the delivery here -sounding accurately and affectionately "dated" in approach, though not so much in terms of production values, etc. And without coming across as a simple throwback, either. Dark and somber, but not without a sense of catchy energy when necessary, there's definitely some contemporary shimmer here and there - though plunky, bass-centric rhythms often run the show, of course. Great use of synths, too. Impressively executed, the album comes highly recommended for post-punk aficionados. - www.noecho.net
