More Slovenia this time around. In the words of president Kennedy, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. At least, when we’re talking about Blaž Mencinger. Billed as an indie-pop singer/songwriter, his main features are tongue-in-cheek lyrics and witty tunes
Blaž Mencinger started out as a guitarist in a jazz band. Which is about as weird a career move as you can make in Slovenia. I mean, jazz bands are literally nothing short of an expensive hobby. But by late 2020, he was already making a name for himself as a singer/songwriter.
Blaž Mencinger
Following a good showing at a festival, Mencinger quit his band gig and went his own way. Pretty soon, he got his own band to follow him around and things just sort of started happening. In a good way, that is.
It seems that rather than a single genre, Blaž Mencinger and his OG band are exploring a single era. The late sixties, early seventies Slovenian and Yugoslav croons that were a curious blend of French pop-chanson, Italian canzone and mellow pop, with overly elaborate arrangement by vastly overqualified musicians.
It is as if that by trying to make his music appear comically simple, Blaž Mencinger is waxing nostalgic for a time that seems easy and simple from today’s point of view. Whether or not this point of view is correct can be up for debate. But Mencinger’s idea of that time is as simple and nostalgic as it is witty.
Because for all the alleged musical simplicity (which is really that not simple, but OK), Mencinger’s lyrics are laced with humour, jabs, barbs and Gen-Z zero-fucks-given attitude. Things happen, love comes and goes, but as long as he gets to march to his own drum, life is pretty OK.
Blaž Mencinger released his debut album only recently. Launched in September, it is titled Delčer Srca / A Piece of Heart and is the best Blaž Mencinger and his OG Band have to offer right now. And it turns out to be quite a lot.
And that’s all the time we have for this week. Check out Blaž Mencinger on YouTube, Spotify and wherever you get your music from. And Balkan Express will be back next week.