"Bucky Wanko and The Legend of Baba Yaga" by Fugu Dugu is athe perfect fusion of Americana tunes with Salvic folk music.

Fugu Dugu is a Chicago-based band which combines Eastern European folk traditions, klezmer and Americana. The band includes Madame Broshkina, also known as Olya Prohorova, a classical violinist and songwriter, and Bucky Wanko, a singer and guitarist.

The band explores themes of love, folklore, politics, identity, migration and relationships through songs influenced by punk music, mixing old-world tunes with violin and electric guitar.

'Bucky Wanko and The Legend of Baba Yaga' is Fugu Dugu's album which places the Slavic mythical figure Baba Yaga in a modern setting. Featuring songs in Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian and English, the album brings together a variety of musical and cultural influences.

The album opens with "Prologue - Muntele de Piatra". It's a 2-minute prelude to the album, an intense peak into the traditional fusion music used throughout. It feels fit to be part of the soundtrack of a mythological horror movie set in Russia or Romania. The violin used is especially haunting. There's a deep, fast-paced piece that seems to be the signature style of Fugu Dugu, at least for this particular album.

"Kamyana Gora", has a playful tune with subtle dark undertones. It does give off the vibe of a dance-hit song, it certainly made me tap my foot along the music. Olya Prohorova has mastered the art of violin, bending its tune to flow in ways which give each song it's own unique identity. Some parts of this track gives it a feel of a pop song, perfect for dancing.

Third track in line is "You Should Be Dancing". It starts off sounding like a cartoon character is acting sneaky before it picks up on speed and energy. It seamlessly turns into a drums-driven, rhythmic track. The bridge starting around 03:09 minute mark suddenly slows while still keeping the classic "dun dun dun" on periodic intervals. The lyrics go, "A Siberian Cowboy, a Romanov dame. Transfixed in the darkness, pools of blood on the stage". It feels almost eerily playful, creating an air of mystery in your mind as you listen on.

Next in line is "Baba Yaga", the song I was excited for. The music has a very old-timey vibe to it. "She came from yeh olde hamlet with a heart that was all blackened from a life of isolation and of grief".The lyrics break away from the stereotype of an old witch hunting people out of malice. "Dumoy" start quieter as compared to the previous tracks. It's slower, almost like a sombre romantic ballad. I do not understand the lyrics as they are in Russian, but it sounds calmer, until the signature fast-paced tune in introduced in as a bridge between the start and the end parts.

The seventh track, "Mama Tried", is the song of the rebellious kid. "No one could raise me right, but mama tried," tells you all about the playful, energetic tune of this song. The violin, however, plays in a sadder melody in the background. "Mouthful of Diamonds" starts with a classic Texan tune and the Salvic folk music smoothly joins in. The song has a bright vibe, but the lyrics paint a darker picture like they do with most of these songs. "Horse names Tuesday" has similar old-Americana guitar strums with lyrics that sound like a delirium-filled dream.

"Midnight Special", on the other hand is slower, almost jazzy. Next is "Intermezzo", a 53-second long piano piece with classic tunes twisted to be just wonky enough to keep you on your toes.

This entire album gives you something very different than what you expect.

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