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Tavo Akys by Katarsis
Well, this is cheery. Katarsis is, I’m informed, by a brief introduction on the official Eurovision website, an experimental rock band known for their distinctive sound and emotionally charged compositions. I mean, there’s certainly an emotion, but it’s not a very upbeat one. Though I suppose if you call your band after catharsis, you expect a modicum of introspection in the sound.
The lyrics – empty words, burning houses, crying eyes, pain – match the bleak sound and look. The band’s grey utilitarian outfits do little to lighten the mood as the lead singer, sporting a fringe even more preposterous than Claudia Winkelman, contorts in angst to convey the message.
Look, not everything has to be happy-clappy; there’s a place for the emotionally wrought in Eurovision. But Eurovision needs to be visual too, and this is a million miles away from the heartfelt emotion visually conveyed in, say, a winner like Molitva.
Lithuania served us 5 semi-finals – FIVE! – to get us to this. You can’t write off a song that’s beaten 44 others over multiple rounds, topped the public and professional voting, and walked the super final by a mile, but I just can’t see where enough support can possibly come from to give this any chance in Eurovision at all. Now, how did it go again? Anyone remember?
My marks: nul points!
Photo: Patrikas Karpickas/Laurynas Skiotys/Deividas Kryzevcius/EBU
