…Pri Mne Stuj

There is an urgency in Raduza's voice, a tone fueled by an almost masculine anger that contrasts sharply with her soft handling of the accordion. In some songs on ...pri me stuj she evokes the image of the singer from the Scissor Girls or the Ex if they had decided to unplug and turn to folk. In these particular songs ("Jelem," "Oh, Madame," or "Tam, Pod Jestedem," for instance), one can feel a heavy influence from sea shanties — the way she spits out her lyrics in "Tam, Pod Jestedem" and shouts a final "Ho!" you can picture her singing to sailors in a smoky pub in Bretagne. Elsewhere, she draws inspiration from French musette and chanson — the music occasionally sounds dated, but her raw, punkish delivery abolishes temptations of nostalgia. In the mellower tunes, she comes closer to the folk stylings of Vladimir Veit or Tomas Jensen. Most of the 16 songs on ...pri me stuj, her second album, consist solely of voice and accordion (a mean, fat sounding one). In three tracks, she occasionally triggers a percussive punch (bass drum and cymbal) — something everyone could do without. "Studeny Nohy" and "Bremen" feature guests Omar Khaouaj (guitar) and Frantisek Raba (bass). Understandably richer in arrangements, these songs bring a nice respite from Raduza's slightly claustrophobic universe. The closing waltz, "At' Neni Mi Lito," is beautiful and provides the last example of the singer's wide emotional palette. — Francois Couture.