Review by Roland Bruynesteyn
Album assigned by Nina A.
Well, this is one group I never heard of. The music has a late 60’s vibe with Latin American touches, reminiscent of Tropicalia artists such as Os mutantes. Not so much in the rhythm department but the variation in instruments, the melodies and the voices (quite often some people singing together) combine to give it a strong hippy feel.
Often there is a strong bass line anchoring the song, leading to comparisons with songs of the era (the end of the first song sounds a bit like In-a-gadda-da-vida for example). Generally it’s less heavy of course and it resembles groups like Marmalade or the Association in scope. Given that it dates from 1976, it’s all highly derivative of course, but hey, what’s wrong with following great examples?
Day Mi Malko Nejhnost (Give me a little tenderness) was the hit single, or so claims Wikipedia, but it’s not the best song of the album. A song like Obich, while still having that hippy vibe (because of the harmony singing gets some Santana-like touches. Not so much in the guitar department but rather in a nice organ solo. And we have some cowbell, ladies and gentlemen!
Some songs sound a bit more modern, because they employ some (silly) synthesizer noises that were not available in 1969. And in A utre they try to out-Emerson Keith, and they should not have done that. But take Dalechen zaliv: it’s not original, it’s not essential (and the piano is rather primitive), but don’t you feel happy when you hear the melody? Don’t you feel like smiling if that little violin ‘solo’ is played? And that little guitar line after the next verse?
And what about Mojat sin? If sung by Paul McCartney and Wings, it would not be out of place on, say, London Town. Really a nice song. Same goes for Djavolski sezon, another song that has this relaxed vibe, that you can so easily imagine yourself listening to on a boat in a bay near some Caribbean island, with a cocktail in your hand.
Did I lower my standards, because I’m happily surprised? I don’t think so. This is no desert island disc, but I think it belongs in a comprehensive collection. I would like to get an official release on CD someday. It’s that good, and simply great fun!
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