For some of us, 2011 is a year that holds significant meaning. For Jovan Karcic, it’s the title of his second solo album. Formerly of Gaunt and the Black Swans, Haynes Boys and Burn Barrel and current member of Scrawl, Karcic’s is a style that appeals to all genres and that’s what makes it so appealing.

The instrumentals Indianola Dark and Indianola Dark Reprise have an ethereal sound that may be startling to listen to late at night. Reporter Song is Karcic’s bluesy interpretation of the life of a journalist. The soft piano keys and background calls of “mayday, mayday” in Mayday give the track a forlorn and lost feel to it. The opening music and guitar in In Dreamland are mesmerizing and sound as if it could leave us in a trance. Pledge has an edgy and hard rock feel to it and is fun to listen to. Lady’s Man is an easy listening tune that would be perfect to listen to on a sunny afternoon. Open Up the Window has a futuristic and rock and roll sound.

The background strings and chimes in Roundy Round make it somewhat frightening. Slow Down City is a mix of blues, rock and techno rolled into one. The rhythmic drums and background music in Lonesome Trekker give the track a futuristic and lonely feel. “Lullaby” is relaxing and the strumming of the guitar and brief harmonica makes it beautiful and enjoyable. Shadoworld has an awesome beat to it and is fun to dance to. The drum beat and guitar in “Local and Temporary” has a classic rock sound.  BoB is a rhythm and blues and soul melody that will have everyone swooning and falling in love with it. The opening chime and background humming in Om makes the track hypnotic and attention grabbing. The soft strumming of the guitar in “Solticeyes” makes it a soothing and amazing tune.

Although quite short, each track on “2011” is unique and beautiful and is just as creative as the artwork on the album cover. It’s truly a work of art in more ways than one and the fans will take notice of it. Be it with a group or solo, Karcic will continue to rise to the top. I hope to hear more from him in the future.

Final Grade: A

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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