Record Reviews

KAPELA HANKI WOJCIAK ~ ZNACHORKA RADIO KRAKOW 16 ~ POLAND ~ Folk-Rock Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is a phenomenal debut album by Polish singer / songwriter Hanka WojciakFind albums by this artist and her ensemble (called together Kapela Hanki WojciakFind albums by this artist), which presents a superb set of fourteen original pieces, thirteen songs and a short instrumental epilogue, all composed or co-composed by Wojciak and all featuring her lyrics, except for one piece which combines her poetry with that of the great Polish playwright Stanislaw WyspianskiFind albums by this artist. The ensemble consists of mandola (a type of mandolin) player Andrzej ZagajewskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jacek DlugoszFind albums by this artist, violinist Marcin SkabaFind albums by this artist, bassist Mateusz FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz CzaderskiFind albums by this artist. A few guest artists participate on selected tracks. The album´s musical production was executed by the ensemble and Dariusz GrelaFind albums by this artist, who also was the recording engineer. In her songs Wojciak and her ensemble manage to combine her Highlander roots and other Polish folklore influences with contemporary Alternative Rock / World Music feel and sound, doing it better that any other Polish ensemble that I have ever come across. This music is fresh, elegant, moving and extraordinary sophisticated, with layer upon layer of both musical and poetic insightfulness. The melodies are wonderfully woven, serving as perfect vehicles for Wojciak´s impressive vocal abilities, changing from sweet innocence to witched nastiness, always delivered with taste and seemingly effortless ease. Her lyrics are also outstanding, using incredibly rich Polish language, which is almost never heard in today´s Polish songwriting. She uses old Polish words and words borrowed from dialects that are on the brink of extinction, words that make me think of my childhood when people actually used to talk like that, rather than using the "Polish idiot´s" version of the language which utilizes altogether about 300 words with every other word being the one starting with the letter k. The vocals and the instrumental work on this album, as well as the recording quality, are all exemplary. There are no exaggerated theatrics, no unnecessary over-complicated instrumental arrangements or studio mannerisms. Everything is crystal clear and straightforward sonically, which allows the listener to concentrate what is truly essential at any given moment. I have no idea why this album took so long to get to me (thanks to Mateusz Frankiewicz who actually sent it to me), but at least I´m able to enjoy it rather than stay ignorant. It is a major event on the Polish scene in the last decade, which sadly passed almost unnoticed. Why this album did not win all the awards on the Polish music market in 2014, as it should have, is another proof of the fact that garbage rules and the industry has no taste or idea about the aesthetics involved in making music. Thank you Milady for this wonderful gift of music!

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