Senu Mi Venu Mi

Described as “Croatian traditional singing with modern musical sound” and “fresh interpretations of Croatian musical heritage”, this is an album where folk styles and other influences come together with uneven results. The starting point is the glorious female vocal work of women who have been involved in Croatia’s Metno ‘international ethno’ festival, and the set starts with a powerful solo, with other voices soon in accompaniment, offering rousing, sometimes harsh-edged harmonies. On the second track, from which the album takes its name, a solo voice is echoed by a chorus in a simple but thrilling, repeated melody line now backed by percussion. So far, so good. But now the female voices are joined by instrumentation, including guitars, woodwind and brass, with settings that range from the gentle and charming to the curious treatment of ‘Sjela Djeva Pokraj Mora’ (here just ‘Sjela Djeva’), where an exquisite vocal melody is hijacked by a jazz band determined to party.