Author: Urban Bolta
Artist: Orlek
Label: RTV Slovenija
Released: 2009
Runtime: 56:36
Rating: 3/5
Anduht is the new release from Zagorje band Orlek, who have spent two decades spicing up the local music scene. A colorful palette of musicians gathered around mastermind Vlado Poredoš has served up a fresh record for the band’s twentieth anniversary, but one that doesn’t stray from the Orlek norms.
Even the album cover is something special – the members of Orlek are gathered around a table Last Supper-style – and if we read the Last Supper as a big moment, it’s a big moment for the band too: twenty years together! Anduht is a gift to Orlek’s loyal listeners, and to themselves as well, for all the effort, work and sweat they’ve poured in along the way, all of it for the meager afternoon pay the band brings in. Over two decades on the Slovenian scene, Orlek have become synonymous with a good time and honest music written with a lump in the throat. This time they’ve stuck to the same guiding principle – the inspiration for the songs once again came from everyday life in Zasavje, or rather its sorry fate, and the album is also seasoned with the anniversary theme, to which the title track – Anduht – is dedicated. Pop the album into your CD player and first up is Čestitka, a “tribute” to the band from Radio Trbovlje, followed right away by Anduht, the best song on the album, a lyrical, personal, confessional tune about the band’s musical journey so far and the experiences they’ve shared as a collective. Worth a mention is the new version of Ko so lipe cvetele, which now boasts a bouncy, danceable rhythm and a backing of several different instruments that strip the acoustic guitar of its status as the dominant sound. The only cover (in the past Orlek have tackled quite a few songs by various artists: Pankrti, The Pogues, Avseniki..) on Anduht is “Srečen” by Bombe, a song that has long since made itself at home among the people – its bittersweet, sour-sad tale fits the Zasavje folks like a glove. Besides Čestitka, there are also Reklama and Anduht grande finale, the seeds of a concept album that steer it from the start, with a “commercial” break in the middle and a closing outro that is really an instrumental version of the title track. All the remaining songs are about happenings in the place where Orlek live and create – they are masters of writing songs about the everyday man, through whose eyes they comedically describe the sad situation so many Zasavje locals find themselves in. A somewhat bouncier, livelier first half winds down calmly, before the outro, with the instrumental Pax Pannonica and the slow Okruški večera.
Anduht is a mature album – Orlek’s mileage and the years that come with it show, and they’ve brought the band to the point where they hit the brakes and made their gentlest album yet, without the rowdy punk moments typical of their earlier releases. Distorted punk and metal riffs have given way to calmer songs with a heavy emphasis on the sound of Vlado’s acoustic guitar. The polka-punk days are obviously over. The nine-piece lineup brings a wide range of instruments that keep the songs varied and give them more musical breadth, and that breadth opens the door to exploring different genres, from the dominant ethno rock that runs through the whole album like a red thread all the way to folk, blues, even chanson and swing. A genre-rich sound has been tailor-made for Orlek from the start, but this time they’ve gone further than ever in exploring it. On the other hand, not a single song on the album rises above the waterline of mediocrity, none of them etches itself into the listener’s long-term memory, and thematically Orlek also remain anchored in familiar waters. Anduht is a solid album that offers nothing outstanding. A must for all the fans, while for anyone who hasn’t yet dipped into Orlek’s rich legacy, I’d warmly recommend the albums Ajmoht, Salamurca, Adijo knapi..
The release of Anduht comes with a bonus DVD that captures the genuine Orlek spirit – it includes a documentary from their shows in Pakistan titled “Orlek rock gre v Pakistan” and all the band’s music videos – from Vinske trte to Perkmandeljc. To mark the anniversary, Tiskarna Tori also published a book, “Orlek – 20 let knap’n’rolla”, written by Zdenko Matoz, who accompanied them on their trip to China. Required reading for all music lovers!
Lineup
Vlado Poredoš: vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonica, kazoo
Jure Tori: accordion, keyboards
Bojan Bergant: guitar, banjo
Matej Fele: guitar
Mitja Tori: bass guitar, double bass
Sašo Marn: drums, percussion
Kristijan Adamlje: saxophone
Ečo Matko: trombone
Janez Tori: trumpet
Production
Smiljan Greif
Tracklist
1. Čestitka
2. Anduht
3. Dol po Savi
4. Drugačne luknje
5. Ko so lipe cvetele
6. Srečen
7. Houdre
8. Noh Šiht
9. Tri doline
10. Upokojenega policaja pesem
11. Reklama
12. Položnice
13. Fontana želja
14. Pax Pannonica
15. Okruški večera
16. Anduht grande finale
