Artist: Neisha
Label: Nika Records
Release: 2007
Rating: 3/5
Neisha is one of those singers on the Slovenian scene who seems to have popped up out of nowhere and become a full-blown media attraction overnight. I’ll admit this over-the-top media obsession put me off a bit from what should be every music lover’s basic goal – the music itself. Sure, I’d heard the hits spinning on TV and radio, but by now I should have known that hits never paint the real picture of an artist’s talent and abilities.
I figured Neisha was just one more attraction playing decent music that the media still wildly overrate. That happens a lot. The media blow things out of proportion, and more often than not that’s exactly what keeps me from trying anything at all. Luckily, we did eventually get our hands on a promo copy of her album Nor je ta svet. Since I wanted to give Neisha a chance and didn’t want to write her off in advance, I just took the album for myself.
Good thing I did, because Neisha’s music blew away my prejudices about her supposed lack of talent. Right from the start I could see there was more to her than meets the eye. The videos distract you, because they’re built to grab the attention of people who don’t have the concentration for more than a couple of minutes of music. So a video needs interesting visuals, the music has to hit hard, and the lyrics should be as simple as possible. That’s exactly why I thought Neisha had nothing to offer beyond shallow three-minute pop ditties. But I did her wrong.
True, not a single song goes past five minutes, but that’s beside the point. There’s a lot more to Neisha’s music than that quick one-two-three bang so many people want to hear. She can be tender, wild, romantic and angry. And all those feelings come through in music that breathes with its own energy and life.
Early in her career, Neisha was often compared to Norah Jones. Jones leans a bit more toward jazz, but Neisha uses plenty of those elements too, so maybe the comparison isn’t so far off. Still, Neisha is a bit more varied. She also brings in elements of funk, rock, pop and a few other things, so the music never gets too static.
The album is played brilliantly. The girl is a first-rate keyboardist herself, and it shows in the final product. The record also features a whole bunch of respected studio musicians, among them Jani Hace of Siddharta. Getting so many respected players on board says that someone is investing a lot in Neisha. Whether it’s simply faith in her abilities or something a bit sneakier, I’ll let you decide.
Nor je ta svet is a lovely album that’s packed with potential hits, but also full of love for music and imagination. Neisha, who wrote most of the songs herself, is no one-day wonder, and I expect we’ll be following her on the Slovenian scene for a long time. The fact that established names of Slovenian music (Vlado Kreslin, for example) gladly perform with her says a lot about her quality. I really am curious whether Neisha can go on to do something musically bigger or whether she’ll settle for what she’s got.
Lineup
Neisha – vocals, keyboards
Jani Hace – bass guitar
Krešimir Tomec – bass guitar
Anže Langus – bass guitar
Tadej Kampl – bass guitar
Boštjan Gradišek – drums
Žiga Kožar – drums
Martin Janežič – percussion
Mate Brodar – backing vocals
Miha Hawlina – saxophone
Matjaž Kajzer – trumpet
Vid Žgajner – trombone
Riki Zadravec – accordion
Ethnodelia Quartet: Janez Podlesek – violin, Miloš Simić – violin, Oliver Dizdarević – viola, Kristijan Kranjčan – cello
Production
Dejan Radičević
Tracklist
1. Zaradi upanja (3:16)
2. Vrtiljak (3:10)
3. Ogenj pod nogami (3:18)
4. Cvetni prah ljubezni (3:44)
5. Pod enim dežnikom (3:09)
6. Stokrat bolje mi je zdaj (3:04)
7. Občutek (3:22)
8. Vedno za vedno (3:56)
9. Nor je ta svet (3:21)
10. Midnight (3:08)
11. Blame Me (3:13)
12. You And Me (4:07)
Album length: 40:47
