Record Reviews

RANNE PTASZKI ~ W PELNI VOICE MUSIC 1009 (Barcode: 5906489287374) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish group Ranne PtaszkiFind albums by this artist, led by singer / songwriter Martyna KubiakFind albums by this artist, with vibraphonist / guitarist Marcin PaterFind albums by this artist, bassist Mateusz SzewczykFind albums by this artist, percussionist Patryk ZakrzewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz MachanskiFind albums by this artist. A string quartet performs arrangements by Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, accompanying the quintet and vocalist Anna BratekFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents eleven tracks, all songs written by Kubiak (music and lyrics), except one, which has music co-credited to Kubiak and Szewczyk and with string arrangements by him, and one with music by Szewczyk. The album was recorded at the legendary Monochrom Studio, engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, and offers, as usual, a spectacular sound quality. The music is absolutely sensational, from start to end, offering a wonderful amalgam of Pop, Rock and Jazz, sophisticated melodies, twisted rhythm changes, brilliant vocal and instrumental performances, in short a stunning piece of music, which undoubtedly deserved the Fryderyk prize for 2024. Kubiak is a perfectly natural vocalist, singing completely without any effort, not trying to prove anything or show off any of her qualities. Everything that comes out of her throat sounds just right, regardless if she uses a jokingly cabaret attitude or almost whispers her messages. She is utterly unique on the Polish scene, and since I know almost everything that gets recorded in Poland, she simply stands out without any competition. As if her vocal qualities were not enough, she also writes brilliant songs, both musically and lyrically. In short this lady is a phenomenon! The musicians who accompany Kubiak do a splendid job all along the way, with incredible sensibility. Selecting the vibraphone as the main harmonic instrument accompanying the vocals was a risky decision, buy proved to be a genius one. I’d love to hear more from Pater and although I have his debut album from five years ago and one additional album he played on, he certainly deserves a wider recognition. Szewczyk also plays brilliantly, and his bass pulsations provide a solid foundation for the music, but he also appears rarely on records. Zakrzewski ornaments the music with his percussion effects, and he also is rarely featured on albums, and as far as Machanski is concerned, who keeps the music perfectly on time, he is completely unfamiliar to me. There are simply so many brilliant young musicians on the Polish scene, that the competition becomes incredibly tough. Kolodziejczyk, who on the other hand needs no introduction, does a perfect job with the string arrangements, and those are also superbly played. Overall, this is an outstanding album, which I enjoyed playing several times in a row (and that happens extremely rarely), and enjoyed the experience repeatedly. Even for listeners, who are unable to understand the Polish lyrics, the sonic message should be definitely astounding enough to enjoy the music immensely. It’s a pity I got a copy of the album so late, as I’d have voted it the album of the year for 2024, well perhaps next time… Hats off Milady, you managed to capture my heart unconditionally. Bon chance with your future endeavors!

Updated: 05/06/2025Posted: 05/06/2025

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend