Artist: Bončina, Janez – Benč
Label: Hommage Records
Release: 2010
Length: 47.32
Rating: 2.5/5
“Sol, poper in sanje” is the latest, and you could say (way too) long-awaited, studio outing from Janez Bončina – Benč. A good dozen tracks from the charismatic musician present themselves as a brightly colored genre foldout, a mix of old and new, in which every trace of the spice promised by the album’s title quickly gets lost. Instead, on Janez Bončina’s studio comeback we run into a knowing flirtation with the hard-earned credibility of one of the most recognizable figures of Slovenian, and once also Yugoslav, popular music.
A reunion of Benč’s old friends, all seasoned comrades-in-arms, is of course a very welcome adventure from an instrumental standpoint, but it has to be said that it often skimps on serving up anything worth mentioning in the way of standout moments. Mostly it’s nicely arranged, easy-on-the-ears jazz rock, which Benč has thoroughly practiced over the last “two centuries” in the rare gaps between everything else. Lively beats, packed to the neck with infectious funky turns, are a reliable recipe, tested many times in recent years everywhere from intimate music nights at Mantova in Vrhnika to the all-people’s May Day gatherings on Rožnik. It often seems that the lively melodic landscapes “Sol, poper in sanje” strives for so eagerly were distilled from classic jam sessions, over which Bončina, as is his habit, sprinkled a few of his recognizable, distinctly mood-laden interjections. So we can say it’s pure routine, interesting enough at its core, but without the badly needed fervor and fire.
Benč remains vocally confident enough, and his recognizable voice still has enough oomph for calm cruising in the middle registers, but it can happen that, with no sharper, more characterful roarer in sight, fans of spicier stuff will hardly keel over with delight. The years have of course left their mark, yet Bončina still manages to pull off a few memorable moves, for example with the springlike “Ko rodi se ljubezen”. Especially in the verse, the melos of the album’s title track will remind you of the melancholy atmosphere of “Kadar ognji dogorijo”, and of all the guest spots, “Pelji me v raj” works best by a mile, a melodically decent, nicely lubricated duet with Juliette Justine. Unfortunately, Benč allows himself a few distinctly trend-chasing genre swerves, and in that category the hard-to-digest collaborations reign supreme, ones that simply can’t win over anyone on a strict rock-only diet. If we start with the hip hop duo Murat & Jose. Benč kindly shares vocal duties with them on “Nazaj”, precisely that morbid phenomenon already unleashed on TV a while back, whose lyrics clearly hit the nail on the head. Definitely stronger and with more effect than the party popper “The Night Of My Life” with Trkaj in a supporting role, who, thanks also to a feeble use of English, mangled the evergreen motif of the original gem “Ta noč je moja” beyond recognition. Then there’s the take on “Bendologija”, underlined with a strongly emphasized jazzy note, where “by some “strange coincidence”” the ever-present Aunt Godec pays us a visit. Big surprise, when you’d rather expect her and Janez to find each other “Ob šanku”.
“Sol, poper in sanje” is a lukewarm shot into the void, undoubtedly a missed opportunity for Janez Bončina. Of course we can play hide-and-seek here. After all, this or that genre crossbreeding has become a fairly common phenomenon over the last few years, mostly excusable as an exciting reach beyond a musician’s established modes of expression. In Benč’s case this chatter is emptiness without parallel; basically we’re dealing with a smokescreen, behind which there may well lurk a shortage of healthy ideas, or else it’s simply a display of low self-confidence from a highly esteemed dinosaur of Slovenian popular music when it comes to slotting into modern musical grooves. But of course, following trends is far from an obligation for a musician of Janez Bončina’s caliber, especially considering that Benč’s fan base hasn’t really changed over the last two centuries, but stubbornly stays constant, basically immovable for at least the next 10 to 15 years!
Line-up
Janez Bončina – Benč: vocals
Marijan Maliković: guitar
Primož Grašič: guitar
Zdenko Cotič: guitar
Mike Sponza: guitar
Jani Moder: guitar
Jani Hace: bass
Jadran Ogrin: bass
Čarli Novak: bass
Rale Divjak: drums
Juliette Justine: vocals
Alenka Godec: vocals
Murat & Jose: vocals
Trkaj: vocals
Production
Janez Bončina
Track list
1. Štipenzija
2. Paranoja Boogie
3. Obrnil bom ta svet
4. I Feel Love (Murat & Jose)
5. Sol, poper in sanje
6. Oče in sin
7. Ko ljubezen se rodi
8. Nazaj (Murat & Jose)
9. Pelji me v raj (Juliette Justine)
10. Bendologija (Alenka Godec)
11. The Night Of My Life (Trkaj)
