There is nothing more inspiring than an artist in love. The only exception is one with a broken heart. On serce, her latest concept album, Zalia explores a state between those two feelings. In other words, the 25-year-old musician is searching for a heart of gold while still dealing with her own heartbreak.

“Teraz wiem, byłam twoim falochronem/Nie ma mnie już, bo gdy się wznosisz to ja tonę/Przy tobie, przy tobie/Coraz mniej mnie jest przy tobie,” sings Zalia on falochron, probably her best track from the entire record and a vocal tour de force. As we will see thorough the record, serce is an album about admitting what makes you feel bad and how to deal with it by listening to your own hear. 

There’s a lot of pop production, echoing Daria Zawiałow, maybe Mela Koteluk and Piotr Rogucki, who makes a guest appearance on serce. It’s still delightful, but we all have heard it before: it seems like Zalia repeats the same old tricks from her mentors, which (at times) doesn’t allow her to develop herself as an independent artist. 

Elsewhere on the album – recorded right after her debut kocham i tęsknię – Zalia leans into more bluesy-like sounds, which suit the emotional tone of her multi-layered, at times almost harsh, but beautiful voice. These are the moments of her triumph, and we would love to hear them more often on her sophomore record.    

When we think about it, apart from Republika’s Siódma pieczęć, there aren’t any other specific Polish concept albums about love and all the different emotions that come with it. This is where Zalia’s serce enters the room, with its nostalgic, almost melancholic flair. Though she sings about musically the most “obvious” topics (from love to heartbreaks), her vivid songwriting works. Zalia’s songs are like pocket mirrors in which we can see our reflections no matter the time and circumstances.

It’s a solidly crafted record and a rather comforting addition to modern Polish pop’s repertoire. Yet, the ultimate question remains: Would Zalia’s excellent vocals sound even better in a more refined, R&B-like and less pop-like album? Time will tell what grounds Zalia is going to explore. But we’re all here for it – she just deserves our utmost attention.

Photo: press, Def Jam

4/5 stars

Author: Jan Tracz