Label: Self-released
Release year: 2018
Production: D’Neeb
Album length: 44.45
Genre: Pop Rock / SKA / Funk
D’Neeb are a sextet from Trebnje (in Dolenjska). A bunch of cheeky lads with a studio debut, but also plenty of experience and well-worn stage mileage. They spent a long time playing hits by international and local acts alike, hardening up in the process. Maybe even a bit too long. They’re seriously seasoned now. That shows in the firm focus behind the writing of every track on their debut »Dobro jutro«. Their vibe is positive, easygoing, laid-back and full of life, which the playful opening run of Dobro jutro, Dnep and Počen makes clear right away. It’s pop rock with a noticeable dose of SKA, which is hardly surprising, since D’Neeb have a proper horn section in their ranks. Their single Oda, with its playful, funk-springy rhythm underneath, might even be the most representative track, capturing the point of the band’s musical story as effectively as it gets in one place.
D’Neeb don’t exactly spark a musical revolution with a predictable expressive template, but they work as a well-defined mini pop orchestra, where the building blocks of the sound are spread out evenly and chat to each other in a really pleasing way. They live in a very conciliatory dialogue with one another. The album has a lively, organic production, and the soundscape is painted in pastels of natural sonic tones. The guitar phrasing is clearly emphasized, while above it the horns keep “playing around” with contrasting, sparkling melodies. Then there’s the very pleasant, catchy male vocal that gets under your skin fast. Typical Slovenian pop rock. But the guys are really well armed with a variety of tricks, so »Dobro jutro« is far from a “stylistically uniform” album. They love to veer into funk waters, where in the mid-eight passages you can feel that garage jams were no stranger to them back in the day. A good example is the wonderfully clever and excellent cover of the Martin Krpan classic To ni političen song. Even salsa isn’t foreign to them (Pleševa). But most of the tracks lean toward flirting with SKA elements. Bands like the Kočevje crew S’kaktus and/or Sell Out spring to mind, especially when we get to the track Pozitiva, but as said, D’Neeb radiate a lot of genre “looseness”, which is also pointed out by the sharper, rock-wound En od naju in the second half of the album.
D’Neeb are very committed and hardworking when they get down to business. They approach things with perfectionism, and they spent a long time polishing this record. It radiates a lot of sincerity and, at the same time, a lot of accessibility for everyday listeners who give it at least a bit of their time and attention. They’re radio-wave hunters, and their style is typically Slovenian. You could say it doesn’t get more Slovenian than this in pop rock culture. In that sense, D’Neeb are good imitators of the Slovenian pop “archaisms” of the eighties, which they effectively work into their own musical body and expression.
»Dobro jutro« carries a pile of good reasons for D’Neeb’s vehement assault on Slovenian stages. With their debut, D’Neeb come across as artistically mature and just plain fun the whole way through, with a pile of catchy, nicely varied little tunes that bring a good time and a proper party.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
rating: 8.5 / 10
Tracklist:
1. Dobro jutro
2. Dnep
3. Počen
4. Opcije
5. Pleševa
6. Laura
7. P.P.P.
8. To ni političen song
9. Pozitiva
10. En od naju
11. Oda
12. Hej mala
13. Avantura
14. Švic (demo)
Lineup:
Miha Drčar – vocals
Robert Petan – guitar
Andrej Tomažin – saxophone
Matej Kravcar – trumpet
Uroš Strmec – bass guitar
Luka Pate – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Žan Ograjšek – guitar
Anže Podgornik – guitar
Gregor Merlin – drums
Borut Ajdič – keyboards
Simon Širec – saxophone
Simon Šoln – saxophone
Blaž Avbar – trumpet
