Svjedoci - Priče

The end of the 80s was a strange time in Yugoslavia in every sphere, including the artistic sphere. The New Wave era was fossilized, the period of raucous folk was on the horizon, and rock bands were playing in basement rock clubs, intoxicated with drugs and full to the brim with dark themes. This change did not escape the prominent Slovenian art-punker, Zoran Predin, who decided for his debut to collaborate with the great Arsen, who himself was in a form of creative stagnation, although unlike Zoran, Arsen had an opus behind him and an influence that few musicians can be proud of, while Zoran was fresh in his solo performance. Although fresh, Arsen saw a lot of potential in him, mostly because Zoran's foundations were not in Hendrix, Sex Pistols, Zeppelin, and others, but in great writers such as James Joyce and Jack Kerouac.

As for the album itself, you can feel Arsen much more than Lacni Franz. What's more, Lacni Franz is hardly felt at all, except maybe in a few parts of the songs such as "Naj Ti Poljub Narise Ustnice" and "Oteto iz Tmine". This is definitely not unexpected, because as the 80s progressed, Lacni Franz also moved away from their punk roots into some sophisticated pop/jazz waters. Arsen and Zoran take turns on vocal duties from song to song, with a duet at the end with a guest appearance by Bora Čorba. This approach works incredibly well for me because, to be honest with you, I don't know if I could handle changing vocals every 1-2 minutes. This way, when I want to listen to Zoran, I listen to Zoran, and when I want to listen to Arsen, then I listen to Arsen. The instrumental accompaniment is wonderful: a jazz/pop influence, mixed with new-wave threads. Perfect for those days when you want to relax with evening tea or morning coffee.

Great recommendations for the whole album, but especially for the first, third, fourth, seventh, and ninth tracks, which stand out above the rest for me. Unfortunately, the album is not yet available on streaming platforms (at least for me), so if anyone wants to listen, let me know in DM.