Already big in their Bosnian homeland,
Mostar Sevdah Reunion won several awards with this album, which originally appeared in 2003 and is just now seeing American release. Their music aches with passion, taking its cue from the old form of the sevdah, which dates back to Ottoman times -- perhaps Balkan blues is an apt analogy (the local sargija sounds remarkably like a slide guitar). Lyrically, the words deal in symbolism of unrequited love. A lot of the material comes from the tradition, but tweaked with the band's special charm, as on "Cudna Jada Od Mostara Grada," which is shifted from a 2/4 to a 4/4 beat to make it funkier. As with all their other albums, the playing is superb throughout, emotive and touching, fiery yet restrained. It's very different from most Balkan music, but that's fine; it comes as a delightful breath of fresh air. ~ Chris Nickson