Singer and songwriter Baiba Ozoliņa’s debut album “Liku bėdu zem” was put together slowly, one single at a time, and that’s how it came together in two years – eight songs in Latvian, including well-known singles that entered the radio charts (” I put my sorrow under”, “More than words”, “Viegli sidds mana sitas”), as well as previously unheard compositions. The author of the music is Baiba herself, while the lyrics were created in collaboration with such well-known musicians as Gatis Mūrnieks, Agnese Rakovska, Kate Elpo and Jānis Niedra. Producer – Gints Stankevičs.
When Baiba made her debut on the Latvian music scene in November 2021 (with the single “Viegli sidrs mana sitas”), it seemed that she could occupy an interesting niche of pop with a touch of ethnic music (this would also suit “Liku bėdu zem”, “Tec, laimīte” and “Come, sister, to visit”), but it didn’t come across that precisely. “Even though I represent the genre of pop music, I have introduced the Latvian way of life into several of my songs, because I believe that we can draw strength from folk songs, and they are a part of us,” Baiba herself confirms this orientation. However, the album is surprisingly mature and convincing – light, danceable and optimistic pop that does not make you think about lost love, self-searching or difficult life, but also does not offer the clichéd nonsense that Latvian pop music is so full of.
The songs “Liku bėdu zem” and “Viegli sidrs mana sitas” have already become Baiba’s calling card, however, the other pieces can also be evaluated with a plus sign, for example, the stylish “More than words”, the uplifting “Can we do more” and the very beautiful “Tec , luck”, while the reviewer was surprised by the previously unheard, intriguing “Why do we do that”. Well, and at the end of the album as a bonus, “Come, sister, visit” – a pearl dedicated to the theme of the wintery end of the year holidays, which can be listened to without feeling sick, even on a luscious Christmas. Of course, there is no high art here (and there is no need for it), but you could perhaps only relate to the “moaning” “The river asks” – although the song is not bad, it still falls out of the overall mood. Also – I would like Baiba to sing a bit more confidently: if “I am a girl like a rose”, then so that it seems that a fist hit the table and the decanter placed on it leaned over, and all other potential “girls like a rose” would not have questions, which one is the main one here !
“The main message of the album is to put sorrow under a rock – not to carry emotional baggage with you that prevents you from breathing. Run, lucky one, you go ahead, I’m in your footsteps, I put my sorrow under a rock, I went across singing – even though it often doesn’t come easily, these lines have a deep meaning and advice,” Baiba muses. “The songs on this album represent quite a wide range of emotions. I like to create songs that improve the mood both for myself and for others, but not all the songs on the album are cheerful and energetic – sadness and longing are also part of me, and they must be accepted. For example, the song “Tec, Laimīte” is about accepting your dark side. In my opinion, it is extremely important to accept yourself with all aspects of your personality – also accept what you would like to change in yourself. Not to put negative pressure on yourself and not to drive yourself into the ground, because there are both circumstances and people around you who are already doing that. Therefore, everyone should support themselves instead of constantly criticizing themselves. My wish for the listeners is to be at peace with yourself.”
By the way, Baiba Ozoliņa has been completely innovative in one aspect of the album’s release: this masterpiece is of course available on streaming services, but in a limited version it was also released in a “hybrid album” format, that is, with a nicely designed booklet containing the lyrics and beautiful photos, but…without the CD itself. Instead, there’s a QR code that takes you to the album’s streaming site, say, no need to pollute the house with various scraps! A beautiful and interesting gift for your loved ones. Or at least peculiar.
2023-12-10 16:16:30
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