On his newest record, Krzysztof Zalewski offers us an energetic trip deep into his demons and the unprocessed past. It’s hard to tell if Zalewski has ever been this honest with his listeners. 

“ZGŁOWY” evokes sorrow, despair, love and lust: here, Zalewski is like a singer – precisely a true artist – tap dancing on the very edge. His newest record takes us to the most hideous place: his very own mind. It’s a place where emotional ecstasy meets a portent of the incoming (internal) apocalypse, the so-called end of the (personal) world. If this is how Zalewski’s sanity looks from the inside, no wonder he decided to pour his existential questions into one record, which comes straight out of his head (as the Polish title has already told us). It’s a mess that our 40-year-old musician desires to – finally? – clean. But, will he manage?

At times “ZGŁOWY” feels breezy. Take, for instance, the singer’s young dalliances, which are recalled in evocative “Nastolatek” with its tuneful verses sung by a children’s choir. Yet, the rest isn’t that soothing, even if Zalewski’s band’s guitars make it quite an engaging affair. As we know, sometimes, even the tiniest effects can evoke painful memories. On “Mamo,” we learn Zalewski still hasn’t been able to cope with the death of his beloved mother. When Zalewski notices a picture of his mum on a desk, one in which she is just another eight-year-old daughter, all his suppressed memories suddenly come back. The entire “ZGŁOWY” is about the moment when a man once again becomes a child and confronts the past. In the singer’s head, his mother’s death happened both twenty years ago and yesterday. No wonder he’s ready to face it for the last time.

 Most of the tracks make us realize what Zalewski has always been most adroit in. Apparently, he’s the hitmaker, always ready to strike with another catchy tune. “ZGŁOWY” seems like a testament to the fact that Zalewski is a radio monster, constantly devouring every listener with his unforgettable choruses, high-spirited guitars, touching lyrics and outstanding vocals, as he is often a master of inflection and phrasing. It is apparent that his pure vocals are truly outstanding from the production’s standpoint, but even Zalewski cannot escape the almighty and tangible pain, which he later desires to tame on the consoling tune “Sztormy i ulewy.”

Despite Zalewski’s return to his beginnings and somewhat repeating previous studio releases, he still delivered a soul-baring record, almost a refined gem. Maybe it’s too polished? What if, on “ZGŁOWY”, he’s too frank and plain-speaking? Or, perhaps his writing lacks a minute portion of secrecy? No matter what, Krzysztof Zalewski plays both a doomsdayer and a Zen poet. Thus, thanks to this set of intimate psalms, he reaffirms his status as a distinct modern bard.

4/5 stars

Author: Jan Tracz