Artist: Plavi Orkestar
Label: Dallas Records
Released: 2012
Length: 51:37
Rating: 3/5
With »Sedam« too, Plavi Orkestar remain »Yugoslav«. And the less »Yugoslav« the times get, the more »Yugoslav« they are. That contrast is even sharper on »Sedam«, because even in 2012 the band holds on to that unmistakable sentiment that knocks on your heart in a retro-nostalgia kind of way and revives an era that today we can only »regretfully« confirm was far nicer – and above all, carefree.
The opener (R)evolucija pulls you right in. The verse is vaguely in the vein of the hit Ako su to bile samo laži, but the chorus makes it clear from the very first track that the band has found enough lively ideas to keep its credibility intact while still sounding like they haven’t said it all yet. (R)evolucija also has a strong rock edge, it’s the album’s »edgiest« track, and it’s a shame the guitars aren’t pushed to the front more often as the record goes on. Dubioza Kolektiv guest on this one, with a great contrast in the instrumental middle section. So right from the start it’s clear that »Sedam« can’t be written off as an album of »copying yourself«. But it is a typical Plavi Orkestar album, as the rest confirms. Head to toe.
The title track Sedam keeps the vibe of the eighties alive. The band delivers a very listenable, lightly arranged tune. That lightness has always been Plavi Orkestar’s spark. It generates that naive but likeable character, which is exactly how they’ve always won over the crowds. In Nedodirljiva (translated: »Untouchable«) there’s a noticeable pop element for the first time, and in the verse any random »hip-hopper« could easily hop onto Lošić’s lines. Slatke ćari serves up a delightful old-school waltz that the harmonies of some The Platters would slip into with ease. Amerika is one of the most polished tracks on the album when it comes to arrangements. A dance rhythm, a catchy chorus with a simple melody that’s easy to sing along to, and a particularly pleasing effect from the full-blooded arrangement of the sonic building blocks in the production, which wraps around Lošić’s vocals. The band released it as the album’s first single, though it’s almost too polished for that, and the lukewarm interest from the audience proves that Plavi Orkestar will keep being best known for their hits being, well, love songs.
As far as hits go, the ethno-pop schlager with Dragana Mirkovič in a duet with Lošić knows how to ignite far better. Loša created the song with the late Šaban Bajramović, so it’s almost a given that this is the track with the most folk-entertainment flavor of Balkan culture, which still fills the biggest concert halls today, Slovenia included. That Balkan ethno element comes fully alive later in Život nije bajka too, while the commercial pop sentiment of the eighties returns to the album with S tvojim imenom na usnama, where a dance funk-pop figure props up Lošić’s sugary vocal approach. Svaki od nas nosi svoju bol (translated: »Each of us carries our own pain«) brings a softer side of the band to the tail end of the album. It’s a melancholic song about the end of a relationship between two people who have been together for a long time. Lošić’s lines once again successfully sell a backdrop of easily accessible melody, and the album closes with a track that, arrangement-wise, is among its stronger moments.
The song that will stir up the most controversy is surely Od kod si doma. Loša tries his hand at partly using Slovenian lyrics. The man has lived in Slovenia for twenty years. It’s honestly unbelievable how bad his Slovenian is. And yet precisely this (deliberate or not – it doesn’t even matter) extremely unfortunate and clumsy use of Slovenian contrasts with the song in a way that makes its message come across even more effectively. On the other hand, it’s a textbook example of a typically silly song that, sadly, spoils the album.
Sedam offers nothing special in artistic terms. It’s a tried-and-tested, cautious album that tries to sell itself and win over the crowds. You have to wonder how a band that will soon mark 30 years of existence doesn’t want to put out an album with greater artistic sophistication and a more multifaceted character. Why not challenge their creativity in a different light? More spontaneous and unpredictable. That question comes from the logical assumption that musicians mature artistically over the years, so such expectations or demands are entirely justified. But only demanding listeners will notice that, and the basic premises of their musical perception mean they couldn’t care less whether Plavi Orkestar are even present on the scene or not. So, empty chatter.
Still, »Sedam« is a quality and thoroughly credible album, as befits the name Plavi Orkestar. The quartet doggedly sticks to what has always brought it a winning poker hand of aces. Love songs lead the way again. That’s the naivety that clings to the band to this day. You’d wish for edgier content, like the greedy adrenaline rush of the opening rock march (R)evolucija, while the fact that Plavi Orkestar could challenge their creative talents more artistically at their mature age is no longer even worth mentioning. As it is, it’s a very cautious album that wants first and foremost to please the masses. And it will please the masses. It keeps everything Plavi Orkestar are, were and will be (apparently staying that way in the future too). Once Yugoslav flag-bearers, today retro Yugoslav nostalgics. But that’s exactly what keeps the doors wide open for them and keeps their stride in rhythm with the demands of the mainstream in the current time and place in the Balkans. An album lost in time that has, once again, happily found its owner. The mission for Plavi Orkestar was successfully accomplished once more with »Sedam«. Even if without standouts. A moderate, predictable, relaxed, easygoing album, tailor-made for all the band’s fans.
Lineup
Saša Lošić – vocals, guitar
Saša Zalepugin – guitar
Samir Čeremida – bass guitar
Admir Čeremida – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Dragana Mirkovič – vocals on track no. 6
Dubioza Kolektiv – vocals on track no. 1
Dalibor Marinkovič – vocals on tracks no. 3 and 11
Bane Vasić – accordion on track no. 6
Bruno Urlić – viola, violin on track no. 5
Ljubinko Đurić – violin on track no. 10
Nikša Bratoš – keyboards, guitar, programming
Production
Nikša Bratoš
Tracklist
1. (R)evolucija
2. Sedam
3. Nedodirljiva
4. Slatke čari
5. Amerika
6. Ti misliš da je meni lako
7. S tvojim imenom na usnama
8. Od kod si doma
9. Bi li pošla sa mnom
10. Život nije bajka
11. Svako od nas nosi svoj bol
