Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Budna, Samo
Label: Sedvex
Released: 2009
Running time: 35:54
Rating: 4.5/5
Even though the little birdies on the roof have been singing for a while that Samo Budna, Kreslin’s violinist and former frontman of the excellent Prleška band Posodi mu jürja, was working on a new album, a lucky turn of events has finally landed his solo studio debut »Manj je več«, which came out back in 2009, in RockLine’s review press. Nobody at RockLine would be bothering with a review in 2013 if this record weren’t truly different. Distinctive. In short, it’s a very, very lovely musical moment.
If you’re a musician from the Prekmurje corner of the world, it’s pretty much expected these days that you’ll deliver an interesting musical statement with clear, homegrown songwriting insight. Samo Budna is no exception. The guy, who was tempered over two active decades in music, honed his musical strengths and talents to the point where he felt: »Time for my solo album!« He gathered a tried-and-true crew of musicians around him, and as »Manj je več« plays through your headphones, you get the feeling a band is playing with you. That it’s an album by a group, in other words. Samo Budna wrote all the arrangements and music, as well as the lyrics, with the exception of the song Komu boš rekla (a poem by Feri Lainšček).
As the album’s title suggests, »Manj je več« is a work of short, relaxed yet tightly expressive musical gestures, riding on the effective emotional delivery of Samo Budna’s vocal interpretation. He already knew how to caress effectively with his charismatic voice back when he led Posodi mi jürja. In fact, the supporting cast works much like that band did. The sound the musicians create is used to the fullest! It’s extremely dense, dynamic, lively, and, most importantly, the building blocks of this compact musical puzzle coexist in a one-of-a-kind symbiosis of playful performance. Every element sparkles and speaks equally on the album, nobody dominates and nobody plays second fiddle. Right at the center sits Samo Budna’s highly charismatic vocal. Where there’s Prekmurje, there’s usually melancholy. It’s strongly present on the album, and it’s especially set off by the inclusion of traditional Prekmurje melos. Its backdrop alongside Samo Budna’s singing is held up by arrangements written specially for mandolin, strings, piano, accordion, and harmonica. One of these is Lahko se zgodi, for example, where the combination of string and piano arrangements with Samo’s tender vocal brings the message of the lyrics to life especially well, while Tebi sonce sije could be declared one of the most effective examples of blending folk music with rock and pop. Everything on the album sounds organic, natural. That’s why it’s such a lively record.
The rhythm section is solid, supple, and its language is active. The drums’ rhythmic dictation constantly paints the warm, velvety, lively stance of the bass guitar’s melodic lines. On top of that, an outstanding curtain built on synthesizers, Hammond organ sounds, and piano (read: »Klarič je car!«) acts as an equalizer, while a clearly placed guitar phrase slips in between the songs, wringing out the rock sentiment in the story of »Manj je več«. But the album’s first magnet is surely Samo Budna’s vocal, which is fully felt throughout. It’s taken melancholically, shyly, and also inwardly. Personal and confessional, in other words. In how convincingly it brings the lyrics’ message to life, and above all in its strikingly beautiful vocal coloring, it’s downright contagious, and as such it holds the listener fully engaged all by itself. From the first minute to the last.
But not everything is steeped in melancholy by any means. Zate nocoj is a song that shines with passionate longing on the album. In the glow of anticipation. With this track, Budna gets close to an effectively constructed verse-and-chorus pairing that gradually carries the song to its peak in a chorus crescendo, with high accessibility to radio frequencies. A song born to be a hit single! And the string arrangements in this song effectively keep hold of their author’s musical roots!
A good 35 minutes of music, nine equally strong musical statements that don’t sag in quality at a single, solitary point. On his solo studio debut, Samo Budna has managed to effectively implement the essential element of every musical story with a happy ending. The album is imbued with the homegrown insight of the author’s craft of musical arranging. When you listen, it’s instantly clear why the vibe sounds so close to the work of Vlado Kreslin, and also of the younger Dominik Bagola, even though the latter is schooled in the “alternative,” which we can’t say at all for Samo Budna. But that energetic bond tied to geographic origin is clearly front and center in the melos throughout. And that’s exactly why »Manj je več« is so appealing. Because it’s special and different, we could even say to some extent originally elemental. Definitely a spirit that’s recognizable in everything. An extremely lovely record. A record with strong authorial charisma!
Lineup
Samo Budna – vocals, harmonica, violin, acoustic guitar, accordion, backing vocals
Borut Horvat – drums, backing vocals
Sašo Lamut – acoustic guitar
Peter Beznec- bass guitar, backing vocals
Davor Klarič – piano, Hammond, Rhodes
Robi Pikl – electric & acoustic guitar
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Miro Tomassini – mandolin on tracks 1 and 2
Žiga Golob – double bass on tracks 1 and 9
Blaž Celarec – percussion
Maja Naveršnik – violin
Tina Krajnik – violin
Andreja Zupanc – violin
Rok Golob – violin, string arrangement for track 5
Production
Peter Ošlaj, Rok Podbevšek, Samo Budna & Janez Križaj
Track list
1. Dober dan
2. Zate nocoj
3. Festival kiča
4. Komu boš rekla
5. Lahko se zgodi
6. Manj je več
7. Ta večer
8. Greva v tišino
9. Tebi sonce sije
