More like “What the heck, man?!?!” because holy hell what is this Post-Punk slab of Synth-laden goodness that Gogol Bordello has produced for the masses in the year of our lord, 2026! We’ll be completely honest, we kind of fell out of love with Gogol Bordello following 2010’s Trans-Continental Hustle and haven’t really looked back since. Is this where the Gypsy Punks have been headed? We have NO clue but a chance checking out of the video for “Ignition” (View the Liev Schrieber-filled clip for yourself here) piqued our curiosity so when the opportunity to hear the band’s upcoming album a little early presented itself we decided to give GB another try. And are we glad we did because what we’re about to wax poetic on is easily one of our most favorite releases from Gogol Bordello, not to mention of this year as well!
“We Mean It, Man!” is futuristic and bombastic, setting the tone immediately as Eugene Hutz’s mechanically manipulated vocals start things off with a hypnotic refrain followed by Sergey Ryabtsev’s signature strings accompanied by a solid guitar/bass/drum foundation. “Life Is Possible Again” begins with a stomp from drummer Korey Kingston and percussionist Pedro Erazo that continues that Electro/New Wave feel reminding us of something Wang Chung or Men Without Hats would’ve done back in the day capped by a big chorus and a distinct European flair about it while “No Time For Idiots” has an opening guitar line straight out of the Electro Rawk revival of the mid-’00’s topped by a swirling, bouncy chorus that hearkens back to the GB early days.
“Hater Liquidator” is a fun accordion-laden (Courtesy of Erica Mancini) romp featuring another catchy chorus and some ’80’s-style grooves happening thanks to Gil Alexandre’s big bass sounds. The acoustic driven “Boiling Point” with Casa Gogol labelmate Grace Bergere adding lush harmonies to Hutz’s words is a shimmering force followed by the dancefloor-ready recent single “Ignition” which was a great indicator of what the rest of We Mean It, Man! had in store.
Deeper in is what really hooked us especially when “Mystics” came out of nowhere with a sound that, at first listen, is quite unreal compared to the rest of the Gogol discography but upon repeated listens is some fantastic Post-(Gypsy)Punk at its’ core. Later on, “Crayons” is so absolutely infectious with a constant rumbling out of Kingston’s drums for a cacophonous celebration and a chorus filled with wordplay that only Hutz could pull off and then “State of Shock” is next level Gogol Bordello, filled with all the worldly Gypsy Punk noise that combines cultures and makes Gogol Bordello, well, Gogol Bordello! Wrapping things up with a new mix from We Mean It, Man! co-producer Nick Launay, “Solidarity” (Originally released in 2023) finishes the album with an epic Electro romp featuring New Order’s Bernard Sumner that could easily fit on New Order’s Crystal as well as within the vast Gogol Bordello discography.
We Mean It, Man! is out now through Casa Gogol Records and you can get your virtual/physical hands on a copy by heading here or to the stream below. For more from Gogol Bordello, including all the info on their upcoming tour with Puzzled Panther and Boris and the Joy which stops by Boston’s Royale on March 25th (Advance tickets for the Boston show available here), head to their socials found by clicking here or here.