Rock Monsters Romania

by Loredana Stangaciu

Plastic Barricades came as a surprise to me, as I was listening to their last album Self-Theories. They are an indie rock band among many others, ‘born’ back in 2007, in Tallinn, Estonia.

With Dan Kert rocking the guitars, crushing the vocals and the keyboards and Paul Love being in charge of the drums and of some charming backing vocals, the album Self-Theories, released on the 23rd of November 2020, is an explosion of interesting sounds and meaningful lyrics, which carry you away from this boring reality, where every day feels the same.

They have been nominated for ‘Sunday Shorts International Film Festival 2020’ – Best Music Video – with the song called ‘Optimist’.

‘Optimist’ is accompanied by a truly DIY music video, featuring 8 houses, 8 cars, plenty of glassware, some benches and trees, a crowd of exactly 300 cast members and around 20 buckets of water. All filmed in a bedroom.

It begins joyfully and gradually, becoming energetic and melancholic at the same time. The transitions between the beats are soft and gentle. All these together make me feel empowered and reinvigorated, brightening my whole day.

‘Weightless’ feels like a relief, which is exactly what the song is trying to bring to you. The drums and some weird sounds introduce you to a calm paradise of sadness and peace.

In a manner way more ironic than you can imagine, ‘Don’t follow me’ has one of the most joyful and positive instrumentals, but the lyrics are talking about losing yourself.