Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Falk, Neca
Label: Založba Pivec
Release: 2014
Length: 36:11
Rating: 4/5
We all know Neca Falk. After more than ten years, the esteemed Slovenian singer and musician has decided to put out a new album. This time she’s teamed up with some seriously interesting players: two key pillars (and members) of Katalena, both Boštjans (Gombač and Narat), plus double bassist Žiga Golob.
As expected, this is an album of strictly organic sonic collages, where elements of cabaret chanson (Dan, kot je bil včeraj, Kar tako), jazz and blues join hands, wrapped in a typical mimicry of musical value rooted in Slovenian soil. A melancholic atmosphere of shy, wispy sonic veils surrounds Neca’s striking, evergreen voice, which once again creeps under your skin so unnoticed and unobtrusive, yet solid and full, as she takes on individual lines with incredibly soft sensuality. Neca once again masterfully alternates between firmly dictated moments and moments where her vocal turns fragile, tender and gentle, almost maidenly pure and captivating. With the album »Od daleč« the singer proves once more that whatever she touches with her voice, she brings convincingly to life through her deeply lived-in interpretation of the lyrics.
A set of ten songs, written (lyrics included) by Boštjan Narat, which more than a few times pulls firmly toward both of his solo studio records, which goes without saying. This becomes obvious once you reach the fourth track, Pesem v moji glavi, or later in the mildly chaotic Krošnje šumijo . Already the opener Dež ni bil kriv (or later Nepopustljiva kot sneg), where Neca’s vocal is draped in a simple cloak of warm, soft, compact-sounding acoustic guitar accompaniment, shows the full splendor of her interpretation, which persuasively and instantly touches the deepest corners of the listener’s soul. Whistling in the rain included.
The songs work convincingly under the quartet’s baton. Gombač cleverly uses the available space for improvised clarinet inserts, there’s the aforementioned acoustic backdrop from the ever-inventive Narat on guitar, and the velvety foundation of Žiga Golob on bass guitar. These are guys with serious experience and mileage, who know exactly how to serve the arrangements in a composition. Alongside the eternal allure of Neca Falk’s vocal interpretation, the quartet shows on “Od daleč” that they enjoyed themselves immensely, both in the composing process and later in the studio, when the album was recorded. It’s packaged fully organic. In a singer-songwriter spirit that gets the most out of its expressive idea.
»Od daleč« is a thoroughly recognizable Neca Falk album. Her striking vocal remains its greatest charm. From head to toe. A new chapter in her otherwise rich discography, bringing the esteemed singer back into the focus of the masses and onto concert stages. Combined with her signature classics, which over the decades of her artistic career have been thoroughly »folkified«, the material on »Od daleč« is a highly compatible link between the present and the past of Neca’s creative macramé.
Lineup
Neca Falk – vocals
Boštjan Narat – guitar, backing vocals
Boštjan Gombač – clarinet, percussion, flugelhorn, backing vocals
Žiga Golob – double bass, backing vocals
Production
Danilo Ženko
Tracklist
1. Dež ni bil kriv
2. Dan, kot je bil včeraj
3. Od daleč
4. Pesem o moji glavi
5. Nepopustljiva kot sneg
6. Kar tako
7. Krošnje šumijo
8. Vem, zakaj
9. Na strani neba
10. Ne tvegaj vsega, ker lahko ti uspe
