| REVIEWS |
Tinkara
Kovac
O*Range
(Dallas)
You have to sympathize with poor Liz Phair; the once bitter-tongued
songwriter is now a lambasted, haphazard shell of her former
self churning out pop catastrophes so bad, even Michelle Branch
would scoff. The truth is, she’s been dying to do a pop
record, aching for mainstream approval that is often off limits
to indie folksters and rock n’ rollers. It was a slow
progression that appeared inevitable; alas, Liz finally plunged
off the face of respectability by taking the low road in her
most recent self titled effort, in the process receiving stern
condemnation from critics all over and perhaps some of the lowest
ratings since Magic Johnson’s talk show.
Slovenian born songstress Tinkara Kovac is somewhere between
Exit in Guyville and Whip-Smart; successfully
combining that bitter tongue with a plethora of lucid rock/pop
arrangements and worldly instrumentation. While most of the
tracks found here are sung in Slovenian, her musical viscosity
will resonate plain and clear to those who will not have the
faintest idea what she’s singing about (unlike yours truly
who received a handy translated text thingy). The opening “Med
Zemljo In Zrakom”, pays its dues to Sherryl Crow, highlighted
by that Santa Monica-esque refrain, complete with the line (she
went bi-lingual on this one) “I’m fine – I
walk down a road that is mine / You’re wrong – sadness
is not set in stone”, which would lead one to believe
this is her uplifting tune of self-reassurance. The beat carries
on in “Kjer Ste Vi (Kaj Tu Dogaja?)”, a track boasting
stable percussion work and an apparent affection for an electrified
rock thud.
“Hisa” is strongly driven by her voice; which comes
off as blended Crow/Etheridge, it is an admirable attempt at
a glossy rock tinged affair: catchy, simplistic chorus (all
but one line) with a healthy dose of “yeah, yeah, yeah’s”
(not the band) and pop sensibilities. While the cock rock solo
in the track seems a little gaudy, it lasts but mere seconds
and is thankfully situated at the song’s end. In “1957”,
Kovac once again relies on her voice to do most of the work;
the songbird like wavering practically drowns the weird ambience
created in the background. Nonetheless, the dreamy tone does
much to create that cloudy charm, soothing in that Jasmine tea
sort of way.
She breaks into jig! No kidding; “Astor Café”
is a flute led instrumental that is layered on top of scattered
beats, demonstrating that it isn’t just her voice pulling
all the strings. It is a fuzzy, skittle-like tune that renders
tastes of rudimentary flavor. Kovac ventures into all-English
territory in “The Last Time But One Time”, perhaps
the title is clear indication – it comes off a little
stilted and jagged, some whiny heartbreak recovery that veers
into ballady territory; “This time will be the last but
one time / next time will be the sign to run time / you break
a heart in two / so what’s new / I don’t even care
anymore – do you”, not an entirely shabby deal,
but not a notable element of O*Range.
Unlike its predecessor, “Oranzen Dan” is a wondrous
mythical journey – fine tuning itself after Enya’s
Lord of the Rings spectacle. Again powered by her escaping
voice, it is a brooding, but serene mountain-like delicacy;
seemingly born from more storybook dreaming than pragmatic tones,
cementing another dimension to her impressive repertoire. One
she flexes in “MPH”, an alterna-rock fling that
features a cameo from The Alarm’s Mike Peters. It is however,
dwarfed by the superbly covered “Spezzacuori”, originally
written by Italian song writer Massimo Bubola, Kovac gives it
distinct romantic flair, fitting for the moments under starry
European nights.
There is nothing cheap about O*Range, Kovac is not
only talented herself, but she has selected a group of collaborators
that share her luminous musical vision. The outcome of said
collaboration is as radiant as that vision – a fine tuning
of her fascination with worldwide zest and approach; privileged
by the obvious aptitude that seeps through the record. For those
who enjoy settled effervescence with their audio pursuits will
undoubtedly take kindly to Kovac’s grace.
Reviewed by
Billy Maulana
July 16th, 2003 |
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