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After recording two albums remotely, the group were able to play together in the studio once again when it was time for Altin Gun to make their fifth record. That joyful sense of release and togetherness shines brightly in the sound of 2023s Aşk. On both Yol and Alem, the band tempered their riveting update of Turkish psychedelia with extra-strength synths, drum machines, and a surprising amount of restraint. Here, they are able to work toward capturing the raucous, uplifting feel of its live sets; just a few seconds into the album-opening jam "Badi Sabah Olmadan," its clear that they have succeeded. Once again pumping new life into decades-old Turkish folk songs, the group fills the tunes with rippling percussion, bubbling bass, and hypnotic guitars driven by rock-solid drumming. The electric saz is once again featured heavily, with Erdinc Ecevit conjuring up melodies from the past and coaxing them magically into the present. Both he and co-vocalist Merve Dasdemir trade back and forth, splitting lead chores evenly and teaming up to provide beautiful harmonies on occasion. The band basically pretend that the previous three years never happened, moving ahead as if they were following up Gece with nary a pause. It could be seen as a rehash, but that would be an unkind view. Its more like they went back to their strengths with a renewed vigor that swats aside any negative connotations. Besides, who has time for being a pest when songs like "Su Siziyor" and "Cit Cit Cedene" lay down hypnotic grooves that are impossible to resist, "Rakiya Su Katamam" and "Badi Sabah Olmadan" provide crunchy psychedelic joy, and quieter tracks like the very pretty "Leylim Ley" and the dub-inspired "Dere Geliyor" allow for some hazy moments of introspection? "Guzelligin On Para Etmez" even goes full-on ballad mode and shows that the band can do softly peaceful songs just as well as anything else. Only the disco-friendly, sequencer-heavy "Doktor Civanim" shows any hangover from their more electronic albums; the pulsing energy and Dasdemirs no-nonsense, semi-spoken vocals make it a fun outlier. After surviving the bulk of the pandemic, Altin Gun could have taken their music in any number of directions, especially after proving their template would work in a more electronic setting. Its perfectly fine that they chose to head backwards to a sound they were familiar with. Aşk is proof that there is plenty of mileage left before the sound, or the band, runs out of gas. ~ Tim Sendra