WLVS – Mirages (Миражи) and the two before it

It wasn’t mentioned anywhere, and that probably won’t happen again. But for this one time: the R1 editorial team is a fan of WLVS – short for Wolves (dating back to their English-language early days), though friends like to joke and call them Walrus. (A normal introduction to the band can be found here.)

Just in time for 2020 came Миражи, which makes for a good moment to look at a trilogy of their work. Unlike what’s usually done here, we’ll go from old to new.

Lost Kids

From March 2019. With a cool video and a pro-life message (сейчас мы выбираем жить – now we choose to live), even for those who might feel lost.

Lyrics are available on the track’s Bandcamp page. Check out live versions in full color or black-and-white. Also, see the Lost Kids Cover + Lyrics (mandjzi, 2020 – their channel could use more subscribers).

Дорога до вечности

Only at the end of 2019 did they start recording a new album: Дорога до вечности (The Road to Eternity), which was released in spring 2020. In the meantime, the band parted ways with guitarist Aleksandr – it happens even in the best marriages, and also in trios. With a new guitarist, things continued, and now two-thirds of the band is named Max.

Here’s the title track, from the same album as Afterlife, Лимб, and В глазах бездомных псов.
Lyrics are available on the track’s Bandcamp page.

Миражи

Complications and a tough year were capped off with Миражи (Mirages). If this is an introduction to what’s to come, no complaints here. We’re just waiting for the day someone, when possible again, brings WLVS from Samara to the Netherlands. The whole editorial team will be there.

Lyrics are available on the track’s Bandcamp page and below.

    Let the careless glow fill the official sky
    and in the mangled hands, the horizon starts bleeding.
    Let the wing, like a razor, cut through the gray clouds
    and like chalk on asphalt, divide the sky in two.
    I’m still there, where the mirages of consciousness reflect the soul
    of the one whose shirt with holes I should probably sew up.
    With it wide open, it’s easier to race with the blizzard,
    so I can scream at the edge of the abyss with my last strength:

    if ever looking back, it should only be at a beautiful view,
    don’t drink what makes you sick with the ones who disgust you.
    As long as peace is out of reach, blindly believe in miracles,
    leaving behind everyone with whom you’ve parted ways forever.

    And let the hearts of children left by their fathers burn with fire,
    in the embrace of winter, which needs neither you nor me.

More

• Город из руин (2018)
• Дотла (2016)
• Бесстрашным матерям (2016)
• Вместо монеты - гвоздь (2016)
• Человек человеку волк (2015)
• Плен (2015)

Also check out Арестант (2020), a contribution to the compilation Не выходя из дома, supporting artists during the pandemic. As of late October 2020, there’s a performance at НА СПОТЕ (2020, 17 m).

Listen: Apple Music, Bandcamp, Last.fm, Spotify.
More on Facebook and VK.

Most of the music here is also available in an R1 playlist on YouTube (in the order of posting).
See also Best Russian Music and Russian Song Lyrics.