Croatian singer and composer Vesna Pisarović continues to push boundaries with her latest single, “Vrbas vodo, što se često mutiš?” Released Wednesday, May 14 via PDV Records, the song is the second preview of her forthcoming album Poravna, a bold artistic statement that reimagines the centuries-old Bosnian sevdalinka tradition through the lens of avant-garde jazz and improvisation.
The track arrives as part of an 11-song collection due June 6 on double vinyl and digital formats. Like her previous work Naša velika pjesmarica, Poravna finds Pisarović eschewing genre labels in favor of emotional and sonic exploration. This time, however, the emotional terrain is even more abstract, as she ventures into the liminal space between folk reverence and modern dissonance.
“Inspirational,” is how legendary British musician David Sylvian, of the band Japan, described her evolution. “To witness someone mature before the public eye is no easy feat. Vesna Pisarović has taken steps that may distance long-time fans, but will undoubtedly draw in those attuned to the courage required to create such a hybrid work of exceptional character.”
Joining Pisarović on Poravna is a cadre of world-renowned musicians from Berlin’s experimental jazz scene, including Axel Dörner on trumpet, Tony Buck (The Necks) on percussion, and Greg Cohen, best known for his work with Tom Waits and John Zorn, on double bass. The ensemble is rounded out by French avant-guitarist Noël Akchoté. Together, they provide a sparse yet expressive soundscape, recording the album live in two sessions interrupted by the pandemic, following only minimalist, poetry-like directives from the vocalist.
The result is intimate and unclassifiable. At times, the music feels like a meditation on silence, at others like a slow-motion implosion of melody. Pisarović’s voice floats between lament and abstraction, grounded by the echoes of traditional forms but liberated from their constraints. This is not a folkloric tribute, but rather an act of sonic rewilding, transforming “sevdah” into a living, breathing improvisational art form.
“Vrbas vodo, što se često mutiš?” named after the river in Bosnia, encapsulates the album’s vision: emotional complexity rendered with painterly restraint, challenging listeners to rethink the very nature of traditional song.
The album is now available for vinyl pre-order. For longtime followers of Pisarović, who began her career in Croatian pop before diving headfirst into experimental realms, Poravna represents not just an artistic reinvention, but a philosophical one.
Vesna Pisarović’s Poravna will be released June 6, 2025 via PDV Records.
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