OBIčNE LJUBAVNE PJESME

AERODROM. The band that went from prog to new wave. This is the record from the new wave period and it should be avoided at all costs.

Because there is no new wave music inside.

The album contains mostly of crappy tracks that are pure pop suitable only for 12 years old. When it's not dull, it's cheesy. It's not even a good pop, it's more like a 80's-prototype of what will became known as entertaining music in Yugoslavia, and I don't have a stomach to describe it.

The album opens nicely with Strauss' 'Blue Danube' waltz played on dreamy synth and then bass driven beat is riding us deep into the pop territories.

The opening track Obična Ljubavna Pjesma (An Ordinary Love Song - the title of the album means the same in plural) was (luckily!) the only hit single from the album, and it really stands out of the pile, even if it's just plain pop, it's catchy and decent.

Aside from that, there are a few moments saving he album from the absolute disaster; interestingly they all have a traces of prog varying from very, very, very watered down particles of YES or GENESIS (circa 'Entangled'), a moment or two of ELP's honky tonk piano and yet another plag...ehm, borrowed chord progression too similar to Led Zeppelin's song...guess which one.

Yep, nothing too spectacular. These three tracks (aside the opening track, the hit) are 'Snovi (Dreams) and 'Kad Je Sa Mnom Kvari Sve' ([S]he Spoils Everything While [S]he's With Me). The third track is another love ballad, 'Stranac' (Stranger), acoustic ballad with nice layered flute and hand percussions. It's far from demanding and certainly not very original, but it tickles my ears.

So, we have a catchy hit, a lovely ballad, and two somewhat interesting pop tracks with distant traces of prog, and everything else that could be described as rubbish.

Perhaps that decent song or two could be squeezed on some decent compilation. Because the album is not recommended.

For the third album, AERODROM changed the line-up. Lead vocalist Zivkovic and keyboardist Krajnik left the group, while Zoran Kras joined on keyboards, thus reducing the band to a quartet. The more important though was the continuing change of style into the mainstream pop sound.

The title "Ordinary Love Songs" suggests the "light" pop content and most of the tracks follow that path. It is not even the "pop" side of the new wave, as witnessed on the previous album, but it's more of a blend between a watered down synthpop (drum machines and omnipresent synth keyboards) and a danceable beats of new romanticism (prominent bass, r'n'b hooks, occasional saxophone effects), that would dominate the mid-80s. So, if you don't mind a crisp production (done in Sweden by the Yugoslav expatriate Tihomir Varga) of a highly mashed pop material marred by the contemporary influences of PRINCE, HUMAN LEAGUE, TALKING HEADS and ASIA, you may find this album occasionally listenable.

Beside the opening title track that was a major hit back then in Yugoslavia, "Sutra bit ce bolje" ("It Will Be Better Tomorrow") - a nice melodic and atmospheric new wave-ish song with strong bass and nice guitar and organ solo - and "Stranac" ("The Stranger") - a slow tempo track with good melody, acoustic guitars and somewhat progressive traces in the keyboard solo parts - are standing out. (Personal rating 2,70)