Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Čedahuči
Label: HAD
Released: 2013
Length: 17:35
Rating: 4/5
Čedahuči are a fresh addition to the Slovenian music scene, and where Čedahuči are concerned, “addition” and “quality” go hand in hand. In 2013 they put out their first official studio document, a self-titled EP of five songs. The band’s potential was soon spotted by Gal Gjurin, a longtime friend of Čedahuči’s two main figures, Blaž Učakar and Matjaž Jakin, which, if I may use a patronizing term, made them Gal’s protégés.
Working with Gal Gjurin in his HAD studio (Gal also took on the role of the album’s producer, and he certainly helped the band with the finer points of sound and arrangement) produced an EP that gives a direct look at the band’s songwriting and lyrical talent, even though they’ve only just taken their first steps in the studio.
The band took its name from the river that marks the border between the US states of Alabama and Georgia, called Chattahoochee, which in the language of a group of Native American tribes from that corner of North America means »painted rock«. The band’s kind of spiritual bond with the primal, honest, unspoiled connection between humans and nature, the way Native Americans knew how to understand and live it in their day, is already laid out by the opening track Geronimo, which works like a wake-up call and immediately shows how pragmatic the folk and rock elements are, with an easygoing, catchy melodic definition in the outline of pop. The common denominator of all five tracks is the clear shape of the compositions. Choruses (with pre-choruses) and verses are written with captivating musicality, and the moods swell dynamically through them, cresting in a singable chorus. It’s hard to pick a favorite on the EP, because every single chorus carries exceptional melodic weight that grabs the listener instantly.
The standout track on the EP is the solemnly babbling, mystically seductive Pismo, where the Hammond organ of guest Icelandic singer-songwriter Sigurdur Gudmundsson adds a charming dimension of poignancy, which in its yearning melancholy is especially effective at stirring emotions and moving the listener’s soul and heart. The fragility and gracefulness of its unpretentious unfolding, carried by a colorful interplay of male and female lead vocals, reaches a special expressive power in the emotional Če hočeš grem, where the folk element in the arrangements is emphasized even more. In the closing Listje pada z mano na tla, Gal Gjurin takes the reins, also contributing the lead vocal. This sophisticatedly delivered song also reaches great sensuality. A recognizable melancholy runs through the entire EP, the kind known to melos of Slovenian origin.
Čedahuči carry that current pulse of mixing folk melos with rock, which, in the glow of its picturesque string of natural sonic pastels, could be a darling of radio frequencies at any moment. The EP »Čedahuči« is a work of short, concise strokes, where the starting axiom of effective composing, »less is more«, reaches its expressive optimum.
Lineup
Blaž Učakar – vocals, guitar, Rhodes piano, accordion, bass guitar on track no. 3
Matjaž Jakin – vocals, guitar, drums on track no. 3
Tina Javornik – vocals
Andrej Ilar – accordion
Ivan Zuliani – drums and percussion
Žan Jurca – percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Sigurður Guðmundsson – Hammond organ on track no. 3
Gal Gjurin – vocals on track no. 5, electric bass guitar (3, 4, 5), acoustic guitar (5), clavinet (2, 3), electric guitar (2)
Domen Gracej – voice, trumpet (4)
Marko Kragelnik – cello (2)
Jerica Polončič – violin (2)
Production
Gal Gjurin
Tracklist
1. Geronimo (03:21)
2. Čas pride in gre (01:58)
3. Pismo (04:47)
4. Če hočeš, grem (03:49)
5. Listje pada z mano na tla (03:41)
