Sound Guardian, Croatia 'Blues Corner Column'

N.B.Google translation, actual review below!

Just a day after the official release of Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion's new, sixth studio album, "Chameleon", this review is before you. In fact, I've been listening to this album for a long time and wondering where it all ends. The album was released via 33 Records with ABIK Radio Promotions by Leen Velthuis.

Sometimes things go awry in a very strange, almost completely unexpected way. Namely, until now I have not been paying too much attention to Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion, but this album actually made things crystal clear and brought me back, so now besides the last one I listen to the previous ones and wonder if I missed something. Of course I am and I am a little ashamed because this team deserves a lot of attention, promotion and presentation.

 

The story itself begins in February 2012 and since then until today, that is, until the release of the album "Chameleon", the band releases five albums and this new one is without a doubt a very significant shift for the better in all segments of the music business. This inspired crew at Superfly Studios from September 16 to 20 last year really recorded this album. Namely, it is a highly authorial work, where guitarists Rob Koral and Zoe Schwarz very clearly bring and present very original musical expression. This and that music carries a number of musical elements, carries very inspired arrangements and very direct and inspired musical solutions. Zoe Schwarz's vocals sparkle over great music templates. In her vocal modulation, many influences of the jazz, soul and blues divas can be heard, but what is particularly significant is the original, extremely personal and evident stylistic treatment. And then I believe that you will be completely overwhelmed by the absolutely incredible gig, the "sound" of Hammond, with which Pete Whittaker breaks everything in front of you.

This past time has been extremely productive and rich with their new musical ideas. Namely, this is their sixth studio album, bursting with great, authorial material. You can see, and of course, it is quite audible that this exquisite musical chemistry, which permeates between the singer Zoë Schwarz herself and the guitarist Rob Coral, is all intoxicating and enticing with its honest presentation form. This inspired duo will not allow the rest of the band to relax and stagnate for a moment; they keep going, they just do not cease to delight their fans but also the rest of the music audience. And that's exactly what the phenomenal gig of keyboardist Pete Whittaker plays. On the other hand, it actually points us to their overall musical skill and the performance of everyone in the band and there really is no reason to ask for some "hair in the egg".

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion's "Chameleon" album, in its bones, carries a very succinct message at its core, and it reads: is it blues? Either jazz, soul or something else, it matters less; the only thing that matters is the fact that what we hear is simply good music. And that's it!

Samo dan nakon službene objave novog, šestog po redu studijskog albuma Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion, "Chameleon", pred vama je ovaj osvrt. Zapravo već duže vrijeme slušam ovaj album i pitam se gdje je svemu tome kraj. Album je objavljen preko izdavačke kuće 33 Records uz radijsku promociju ABIK Radio Promotions Leena Velthuisa.

Ponekad se stvari oko nekih izdanja odvijaju na vrlo čudan, gotovo potpuno neočekivan način. Naime, sve do sada nisam baš previše pridavao pozornosti Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion, no ovim albumom zapravo stvari su se kristalno jasno posložile i vratile me unatrag, pa sada osim ovog zadnjeg slušam i one prethodne i pitam se jesam li ja to nešto propustio. Naravno da jesam i pomalo me sram i to zbog toga što ova ekipa zaslužuje itekako veliku pozornost, promociju i prezentaciju.

Sama priča započinje zapravo u veljači 2012. a od tada pa do danas, odnosno, do objave albuma "Chameleon" bend objavljuje pet albuma i ovaj novi bez ikakve sumnje vrlo je znakovit pomak nabolje u svim segmentima glazbenog biznisa. Ova je nadahnuta ekipa u Superfly studijima od 16. do 20. rujna prošle godine doista znalački snimila ovaj album. Naime, radi se o izrazito autorskom djelu, gdje gitaristi Rob Koral i Zoe Schwarz vrlo razvidno donose i prezentiraju vrlo originalni glazbeni izričaj. Ta i takva glazba u sebi nosi brojne glazbene elemente, nosi vrlo nadahnute aranžmane i vrlo direkta i nadahnuta glazbena rješenja. Nad izvrsnim glazbenim predlošcima briljira vokal Zoe Schwarz. U njezinoj vokalnoj modulaciji mogu se čuti brojni utjecaji velikih jazz, soul i blues diva, no ono što je posebno značajno je taj originalni, izuzetno osobni i razvidni stilski tretman. A potom vjerujem da će vas potpuno osvojiti i apsolutno nevjerojatna svirka, "sound" Hammonda, kojim Pete Whittaker lomi sve pred sobom.

Ovo proteklo vrijeme bilo je izuzetno produktivno i bogato njihovim novim glazbenim idejama. Naime, ovo je njihov šesti studijski album, koji pršti od odličnih, autorskih materijala. Vidi se, a naravno, itekako se čuje da ova izvrsna glazbena kemija koja se prožima između same pjevačice Zoë Schwarz i gitarista Roba Korala sve opija i mami svojom iskrenom prezentacijskom formom. Ovaj nadahnuti duo neće ni ostatku benda dopustiti da se opusti i stagnira niti na trenutak; oni stalno idu dalje, oni jednostavno ne prestaju oduševljavati svoje fanove, ali i ostalu glazbenu publiku. A baš tome ide u prilog fenomenalna svirka "prikrivenog" klavijaturista Petea Whittakera. S druge pak strane, to nas zapravo upućuje na njihovu sveukupnu glazbenu umješnost i uspješnost svih u bendu i doista nema razloga da se traži neka "dlaka u jajetu".

PREPORUKA: 
Album "Chameleon" Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion u svojim kostima, u svojoj srži nosi vrlo jezgrovitu poruku, a ona glasi: je li je to blues? Ili je to jazz, soul ili nešto treće, manje je bitno; jedino važno je činjenica da je ono što čujemo jednostavno dobra glazba. I to je to!

• Words by: Mladen Loncar - Mike