Daria ze Śląska, a 2023 revelation in Polish music, is back with a brand-new record. Interestingly, it’s out exactly one year after the premiere of her debut album.

While her previous LP, “Tu była”, has given us a portrait of an anxious girl struggling with her own anxieties and broken heart, “Na południu bez zmian” enters a new chapter in Daria’s music. One that is musically more mature and narratively less woeful.

 Is it a sorrow-kissed record? It feels like this, by design, but it doesn’t purely revolve around a quotidian sadness of everyday life. This time, Daria Ryczek-Zając (known as Daria ze Śląska) is a believer too, or at least becomes one. Through the songs like “Taras” and “Duch”, we learn what has recently happened in her life. And, this aesthetic of maybe-there-is-a-light-in-the-upcoming-tunnel repeatedly draws us with every new listen. 

Yet, there are no groundbreaking revolutions lyrically, although one can spot some other melodic additions, like new genres, from rap to soul and even tiny doses of blues. Besides, Daria ze Śląska has opened for collaborations with other artists (incl. Kortez and Czarny HIFI) and their music has also affected the record’s flow.

Regardless, it is another downbeat album, which takes more than only one-time listening to be fully appreciated. It quickly becomes apparent that both “Tu była” and “Na południu bez zmian” were recorded within a short time span. Therefore, listeners striving for some actual changes in production have nothing to look for.

Angst is no longer meeting hopelessness in her music. It feels like Daria came back stronger and it can be readily heard in her stylish songwriting. On pieces like “Co tam jak się masz” or “To nie zabawa,” she’s the one setting the rules, not the other way around. Heartbreak no longer hurts: this scab seems fully healed and Daria is ready to meet someone new and try something else, even if it might mean getting hurt again.

For an album seeking to ignite something within its listener, it possesses just enough spark to make us believe. It ends with the poignant “Pamięć do złych snów” (a song in collaboration with Kortez) where a mellow melody floats with some touching lyrics. Believe it or not, this is the most compelling way to end your album.

There is an amorphous point, maybe somewhere elusive or unreachable for the human’s touch or eyesight, where the most heartbreaking grief meets plausible delight. Daria ze Śląska has found this locus on her latest record and it should be the main reason to give it a go. 

3,5/5 stars 

Author: Jan Tracz

Cover photo: Facebook Daria ze Śląska