Until last week, I had no knowledge about the existence of Jozep Obol, a new project by acclaimed post punk/alternative rock guitarist and songwriter, Kamil Bielecki. I remember Bielecki from his previous projects, mostly Haunted River, but for some strange reason, he completely disappeared off my musical radar. That has changed. A few days ago, I was mindlessly scrolling through my Instagram just before bed when the algorithm decided to show me an advert for his new album titled “11 Songs”. The song played in the background completely mesmerized me and I sent Kamil a quick message saying it was a beautiful track. To my utter surprise, he responded in a matter of seconds and we talked for a little bit. It was then I decided we would review the album. Boys and girls, I’m glad I did, cause “11 Songs” is the most beautiful record I have heard so far in 2024 and it’s probably my album of the year. I know, it’s early February, and many albums and songs are yet to be released, but believe me when I say, this record is a real masterpiece.
“11 Songs” album cover
Official bio: Jozep Obol is a singer-songwriter based in Warsaw, Poland. He played in hardcore punk, garage rock and post-hardcore acts (Knife In The Leg, Extra Lungs and Haunted River among others), but for the last couple of years he has been focusing on his solo acoustic projects. On his first album, he finds balance between straightforward, unadorned folk-inspired songs just for acoustic guitar and vocals and more complex compositions for the whole band. Musicians playing in jazz, punk and folk ensembles were invited for the recording and the result is a diverse album that is nevertheless consistent in its insistence on captivating melody as the main driving force of the song.
It may totally sound cliché, but I consider “11 Songs” to be one of those records that are able to steal your heart, right from the first listen. I know only a handful of albums that managed to do this to me: Screaming Trees “Sweet Oblivion”, Better Than Ezra “De Luxe”, Manic Street Preachers “Holy Bible”, The Jayhawks “Tomorrow The Green Grass” or “Grace” by Jeff Buckley. I can safely put “11 Songs” next to those genre defining, (now) classic pieces of rock and alternative rock without any second thoughts. The funny thing is, “11 Songs” was released in October 2023, and only now it is being advertised to listeners from outside of Poland. I may be Polish, but I have been living abroad for many years now and this may be the reason why I was completely unaware of Jozep Obol in the first place. I try to keep up to date with the Polish music scene too, yet it’s not simply possible for me to discover everything. Now I will be keeping a very close eye on Kamil and his music – sorry my friend, you will be under constant observation!
“11 Songs” is a record that falls under several different banners: contemporary folk, bluegrass, alternative rock, post punk acoustic (seriously this is a real and utterly brilliant subgenre of rock), roots and alternative country. Musicians associated with the Warsaw free jazz, punk, folk and experimental scene took part in the recording: Michał Stawarz (drums) and Michał Małota (saxophone), both from Chryste Panie, Rafał “Rolf” Biskup (ex Post Regiment and Morus, currently playing in Ye.stem) on bass, Tomek Stawiecki (Sztetl Quartet, Adam Strug) on clarinet, Vova Veselik (Serotonin Zero, Jars) on piano and accordionist Alaksandr Porakh.
“11 Songs” contains exactly 11 tracks and offers 43 minutes of music. The record starts with “Lily”, a song I heard on the advert on Instagram that absolutely blew my mind. “Lily” reminds me of “Blue” by The Jayhawks – it has the same slow rhythm, delicate arrangements and is filled with a special kind of sadness mixed with hope. While the Jayhawks’ strength lies in the brilliant harmonies between Mark Olson and Gary Louris, Kamil carries the song alone, using short, direct, somewhat abrupt verses in a Tom Waits soaked tone.
Jozep Obol (Kamil Bielecki) photographed by Sasha Nest
What I truly adore about the record is, it’s very, very versatile. From the bluegrass influenced “Lily”, it goes into grunge territory by number two (“Lift”) that sounds like a cross between acoustic The Pixies and “Dust” era Screaming Trees. Number 6, “Tar and Feathers”, is “Brick by Brick” Iggy Pop meets jazz, “In the Hollow Of the Tree” marries mainstream pop with contemporary country and “Seven Sisters” plays with Minneapolis sound again merging Semisonic with Soul Asylum.
There are no fillers on “11 Songs”, each track is equally important, telling a different tale that needs to be heard. Please pay special attention to my favourites: “A Coin Stopped Spinning”, the shortest song on the record standing at 2 minutes and 52 seconds that will enchant you with its simplicity (just acoustic guitar and Kamil’s voice) and the closing number “I Bring You Hope” – waltzing and spinning avant-garde no wave pop song with a stunning clarinet solo in the middle.
Kamil Bielecki is also a fantastic lyricist writing about loneliness, solitude, rejection, and the passing of time. Had he just printed the words without the music, we would have a very decent debut poetry book on our hands.
“11 Songs” was mixed, mastered and produced by Michał Kupicz between autumn 2022 and summer 2023 at Dwa Domy Recording Studios in Warsaw.
The record is like a trip down the memory lane to the golden days of rock music, somewhere circa 1995. American inspired, American sounding, this record would truly do well on the other side of the pond. It is not an album for your average music consumer, raised on the Spotify curated playlist diet and an occasional YouTube video. It requires not only an open mind, but a certain type of sensitivity and knowledge of the American rock tradition.
The album, however, will be highly appreciated among those who truly love rock music. It may be a hidden gem for now, but hopefully, with a little bit of luck and time Jozep Obol could become a household name.
Kamil Bielecki will take Jozep Obol on tour this summer. He and his live band are also working on another record that will be released sometime next year. If it does happen, then I will be a very happy girl.
Follow Jozep Obol online at:
https://www.facebook.com/jozepobol
https://www.instagram.com/jozepobol
https://www.youtube.com/@JozepObol
https://soundcloud.com/user-944487915
https://open.spotify.com/album/25kKp21qvy3zcKp5eEMEiz?uid=6d85b61f8e9dbbde418d&uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A4mfqtJHzS0gsouWVJWPDje
https://tidal.com/browse/album/316733557
“11 Songs” is out now, independently. You can purchase a digital copy at:
https://jozepobol.bandcamp.com/album/11-songs
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 