Sedmina – Melita & Veno Dolenc (Helidon 1980)

Sedmina was a Slovenian acoustic prog-folk band. They were formed in 1977 in former Yugoslavia by Veno Dolenc and his wife Melita. Their self titled debut album is surely a gem if you like melancholy folk with beautiful melodies and sincere vocals (both male and female). The opening song on this album, ‘Pesem O Tanji’, is perhaps my favourite on the album. Its melody is to die for, and those vocals by Melita sends shivers down my spine. She had (and still has?) a distinctive voice that could be both soothing and commanding, depending on what the song needed. Her husband at the time also had a very fine voice – kinda nasal at times, but I like it anyway. They also sang in harmony from time to time, and always in their own language. All the songs on this album are short, they’re all clocking in at well under five minutes, but they all have strong melodies. The songs are a bit samey, but personally I like their style so much that this never becomes a problem. It’s a very calming and beautiful album that comes highly recommended if you like this kind of folk.