Firma, Desteptarea primaverii

I never thought I’d see the day when Desteptarea primaverii the album is out. After seeing Desteptarea primaverii the play in 2018, I was completely obsessed with the soundtrack and the only thing that eased my disappointment that Firma’s record launch that year was Poezii alese vol 1 instead of the OST for the play was the promise that it would get a proper release the next year. 2019 came and went and Firma had scheduled a release show for March 2020. We all know what happened in March 2020 and how wonderful that was for the concert industry, so maybe 2021 was going to be the year? Well, no. After years of scouring the internet for more than just Prietene imaginar and Mangaierea lumii and playing and replaying and re(re)playing those two rare diamonds I found online, I was ecstatic to see Firma uploading more tracks on their Youtube channel. It was happening! So on June 1st, in the glorious year of 2022, finally, FINALLY the album was officially out (sadly it seems it’s only available online, but hey, after 4 years I’ll take anything). Now I can fangirl over it properly.

Prietene imaginar might just be my biggest obsession to date. A great introduction into both the play and the album, as it immediately drew my attention and intrigued me, you cannot imagine how many times I’ve listened to this song on repeat. I know every single note of it and I still can’t get bored of it! It’s such a simple track, steady and so very short, but there’s so much passion and emotion contained in it, so sorrowful and moving, especially combined with the lyrics and story behind it.

Words are not enough to describe how much I love Mangaierea lumii. I can remember vividly the first time I heard it during the theatre play, so poignant and intense, so gorgeous and full of emotion, and also surprising for a relatively straightforward band such as Firma. It’s the kind of song that just bores into your heart, Rocca’s voice is ardent and stirring and the orchestral instrumental is just beautiful. I have a knot in my stomach every time I listen to it.

Perdea de fum is less heart wrenching, but still carries the same burden and melancholy of the first tracks in a heartfelt touching ballad. Astept un semn, however, feels completely out of place to me, with its bounciness and shallow repetitivity striking a discordant note with the weight and misery of the rest of Desteptarea primaverii. I understand its part in the theatre play, but there you have more time and transitions to ease you into it, on a 30 minute album it sounds unceremoniously planted in the middle of something entirely different.

Piele de catifea is more in tune with what we’d normally expect from Firma, so of course, another very good song. Heavier, darker and a bit dissonant at times, yet melodious and of course, highly infectious, it paves the way for the climax of the story, manifested in Regina Noptii. Downcast and gloomy, with strong doom influences, a literal funeral march that delivers angst and tragedy, it’s one of the best tracks of Desteptarea primaverii and unlike anything Firma had done before.

Lumea mea is another piece that’s bound to be hummed for days to come, though for different reasons. Less sombre and more on the catchy side, it still retains some of the ever-present sadness and disgust towards the world, conveyed perfectly by Rocca’s phlegmatic tunes. And then, much too soon, the album ends with Martha’s philosophies about raising children like weed instead of roses, as a reminder of how strict education and rules end up destroying the lives of the teenagers in the drama.

As I already mentioned in my review of the theatre play, the tragic story of Desteptarea primaverii is brought to life and enhanced masterfully by Rocca’s soundtrack. And even as stand-alones with no connection to the play, the tracks are amazing. Maybe the many years I waited for the album and the uncountable times I listened to part of it have raised Desteptarea primaverii to an (overrated) cult status for me, but I absolutely love this release. It’s haunting, filled with emotion, beautiful both musically and atmospherically and I think it’s a great achievement for Firma.