ONKRAJ REKE (1990-1994)

Sedmina is the Yugo folk music duo of Veno Dolenc and Klarisa Jovanovic, along with a slate of special guests on different instruments. While no expert on European folk in different languages, the music here is in the universal language and very effective. This is a fine example of taking somewhat traditional and regionally influenced folk music and dressing it in contemporary, borderline proggy arrangements. You have male and female vocals, sometimes alone, sometimes harmonizing, over acoustic guitar. On top of this they add diverse spices like flute, viola, cello, sax, clarinet, tuba, harmonica, accordion, and hand percussion. The result is an experience very much like the group Pererin which I realize is an obscure reference but it is the closest I can think of. One cool thing about this album is that it carries a certain timeless beauty. Listening to the music you really cannot tell what year this came from. It could have come from any decade of the last fifty years. The sounds are almost exclusively acoustic with just a very few brief blips of electric guitar. "Jaga Baba" is the longest track and features the same romantic and road-traveled mysterious feel as the rest. Acoustic guitars bathed in strings, with lovely vocal harmonies over the top. The hand percussion is in the background keeping the piece just a bit lively and the melody is advanced by occasional clarinet. The title track adds some thumping bass in a rather bold and anthemic sounding piece followed by a solemn hummed hymnal in "Na Poti v Krasnodar."

If you traveled through Europe on the trains in the middle of the night, got off in some small village in the rain, and ducked into a pub for an nightcap, this is the kind of music you might hear coming from the corner stage. One of those very authentic musical experiences that will not disappoint. An absolute no-brainer for anyone who loves folk music with some real regional flair and instrumentation. 7/10

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