“Tigrica” by Doris Dragović i More (1985)

Plagued with constant desertions of its singers - fine talents who all continued successfully as solo artists - Croatian band More seemed just to return back on track with 1983 album “Hajde da se mazimo”  that updated their sound and even got them nice hit in title track, when it became obvious that latest girl singer Doris Dragović will not be exception. The very next time band went into studio, they were billed as two separate names, not just More but Doris Dragović & More, which might have been just marketing strategy of presenting two concert attractions instead of one, but as we all know, it usually signals that main star is ready to spread her wings.

Because at this point I am not sure what was exactly happening in the band and what was idea behind this clear distinction between the singer and the rest of the musicians, we can only focus on album itself - two sides of LP were divided between two composers, with original band leader Slobodan M.Kovačević represented on A side. His music is stronger and two hits (“Srce mi slomi”, “Ne propusti niti jedan dan”) suggest that band was still strong and inspired, if perhaps not as summery and breezy as on previous album that really had that feel-good vibe. That doesn’t mean that composer who wrote B side - M.Popović Zahar - is any less interesting, he simply seems somehow lighthearted in comparison and his selections are not so memorable, except surprisingly pretty religious ode “Santa Maria del la salute”  that stands in a somehow sharp contrast with the rest of the music included here. Still very young and vivacious Dragović sounds excellent through it all and her natural, winsome singing style carefully avoids any theatrics that other girl singers will soon force on the audience (Dragović will hold on to this endearing simplicity and the way I understand it, it has to do more with aesthetic choice than any assumed vocal limitations - in her case, less is more). Arrangements and synthesizers place this album squarely in 1980s, which in itself is not bad thing because it gave the whole collection certain coherence so two composers don’t sound so markedly different. Perhaps the only sore thumb is expedition in Greek bouzouki , not so much for the lyrics which might have been good idea back in 1985. but because it moves singer from soft-funk where she started into completely another territory, from now on she is ready to embrace MOR pop and wider audience.