Self-released
Year of release: 2018
Production: Blaž Učakar
Album length: 50.33 min
Genre: Folk Rock / Art Pop
The light, organically ringing cheerfulness of Čedahuči’s new album lit up among us last October. Lighthouse-style. “Svetilnik”, that is. It’s the band’s second studio album, arriving four years after the ambitious debut “Severnica – zgodbe o odhajanju”. “Svetilnik” isn’t a concept album the way its predecessor was, but it is symbolically “the one that shines for the lost and wandering” (souls) and helps them find answers to their questions. Just like the North Star, a lighthouse is a kind of orientation point, which has always been a favorite theme of the band’s confessional, visionary approach.
On their new album, Čedahuči deepen the idiom established by the self-titled EP from 2013 and, a year later, the aforementioned “Severnica”. “Svetilnik” is a new, extremely boldly measured step forward in the artistic maturing of this ambitious, hugely committed multi-member lineup, which shapes its sonic landscape out of an exceptionally rich interweaving of the most varied sound sources. That demands refined arranging and a great deal of mutual give-and-take within a many-membered musical body, which is no easy job. But Čedahuči have clearly grown in this respect over the past four years too, so they clear the hurdle with flying colors. Svetilnik again boasts remarkable flexibility of ideas and optimal detailing of the compositions, which have fully formed characters and stand side by side as equals at a very high level. No dips in quality between them, in other words, which means the songs ripened for a good while and the band really sweated the details before it was happy enough to commit them to tape.
Over the last four years the crew has gone through minor “adjustments” in its membership, but the pillars that define the band’s sound and musical record are still in the lineup on the new album. The creative nucleus of the band remains its leading figure and main vocalist Blaž Učakar, who again wrote all the lyrics for “Svetilnik” and also composed the bulk of the songs.
“Svetilnik” proves that Čedahuči have grown even more mature in their arranging and, quite simply, in the very format of their delivery and expression, which in a word means they’ve grown into even better musicians, or musical artists. At heart, the tracks are pop. Certainly in the sense that they court radio airplay, but otherwise it’s a vivid mix of rock, folk, even elements of world music and hints of blues. In arranging the new compositions, the band also builds up an extremely musical accessibility, speaking to the listener throughout in a thoroughly unpretentious yet seductive-under-the-skin way. The sound is one hundred percent organic, the soundscape built from natural timbres. The band has also upgraded its arranging with neo-classical elements, which the outro of the opener Kamor zapiha, kamor me da already hints at, and which deepens later, in track five, Prazen list, with a very likable “conversation” between piano and violin. Speaking of this track, it develops especially in the mid-eight passage, where a mood crescendo builds up and gratefully adds to the dynamic variety of the composition’s development. There are a few more levers like that on the album, and they’re simply proof of how polished the whole thing is. Especially striking is the very cunning modulation through a folk motif within the mid eight passage of one of the album’s leading songs, Lahko sem srce in lahko sem kvadrat. At position no. 8 we run into the mystically gazing, softly yearning, blues-eyed Hči Lune. An excellent and distinctive blend of blues, folk and pop, which is a really special story on this album.
Although the album has ten tracks, the ninth one already closes it out, that’s Sončni zahod, marked by a longer instrumental passage in the outro. It leads the album into a secretive, mystical ending, as the glowing sun slowly sinks into the blue of the sea, which wraps up the story of “Svetilnik”. This very longer closing instrumental passage, in which Čedahuči subtly layer new and ever newer sonic pastels (round after round of repetition of the main motif), boosting the reach of the atmosphere (the closing “drama theater”), draws a welcome dividing line before the extra, tenth track, sung in English. That’s Simple song, where the folk elements grab your attention, and given the rest of the musical substance “Svetilnik” brings, you wouldn’t exactly miss it if it weren’t on the album.
The album speaks mostly in an acoustic voice. Čedahuči once again deftly underpin the basic rhythms with extra percussion, while on the other side they fill the available sonic space with a weave of many guitars working in great harmony, banjo, violin and keyboards. The latter use both the sound of an electric piano and that of a Hammond organ. The arrangements are skillfully contrasted and the sound, as said, is exceptionally rich, polished and full. Pinches of alternative rock are skillfully packed into the punchier track Zavese.
What you might wish for on this album is, at moments, a slightly more decisive vocal approach, since the delivery wobbles a bit and so, in the expression itself, suffers in consistency. This shows especially in the quiet tracks, like Prazen list, where it might have been better to let the band put a female voice at the center of the vocal execution. Otherwise, though, Čedahuči very finely fill out the lead vocal lines in places with harmonizing (additional vocal backing), which deepens the contrasting jumps between verses and choruses.
“Svetilnik” is an album you need to spend real time with, because it’s packed with vivid arranging and sonic fullness. The band didn’t shy away even from saxophone sounds, which it wove into the song Zavese. As far as maturity of arranging goes, the compositions, despite their great musical likability and accessibility, offer plenty of artistic finesse, plus a self-challenging exploration by a crew of musicians who tested out how some new sonic solutions work on the new album. Čedahuči passed their maturity exam on “Svetilnik” with honors, thanks to a growing artistry of their own, homegrown and original character, which is also the greatest quality an artist (generally speaking) can bring to their expression toward themselves and their listeners.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
rating: 9.0 / 10
Tracks:
1. Kamor zapiha, kamor me da
2. Kako zveni tvoj dan?
3. Svetilnik I
4. Moj odmev
5. Prazen list
6. Lahko sem srce in lahko sem kvadrat
7. Zavese
8. Hči Lune
9. Sončni zahod
10. Simple song
Lineup:
Blaž Učakar – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, Hammond organ, accordion, synthesizers, electric bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals
Matjaž Jakin – electric guitar, banjo, backing vocals
Romana Prosenc – vocals, backing vocals
Daniel Bogataj – violin, mandolin, electric guitar, Hammond organ, banjo, percussion, backing vocals
Miha Nagode – clarinet, accordion, Hammond organ
Miha Lampe – electric bass guitar, double bass
Jure Maček – drums, percussion
