"Nada" by Gabi Novak (1985)

"Nada" or Gabi-in-synthesiser-land finds this dignified pop veteran trying to find her place in the 1980s music and despite good intentions, there is certain lack of direction, like singer's heart is not completely in project. Just few years ago, Gabi Novak successfully entered new decade with album full of hits ("Gabi Novak" from 1982. with "Pamtim Samo Sretne Dane", "Što Je Ljubav", "Plava Ruža Zaborava" and "On Me Voli Na Svoj Način" amongst others) so it appeared that lady still stands strong where majority of her contemporaries are slowly losing the battle with time - it helped that her particular brand of gentle crooning, famously described as "electronic whisper" was quintessential easy-listening, adjustable for any radio playlist and women always responded to these classy feminine musings graced with poetic lyrics. However, as 1980s progressed, with young, angry and colourful acts demanding spotlight, it seems that Novak slowly lost the motivation to continue the race and in fact, after lacklustre reaction to this collection it will take another seventeen years before she will return to recording studio.

Significant is the fact that "Nada" was not released by giant "Jugoton" (her hometown label) but "PGP RTB" which in itself means that insiders failed to hear its commercial potential - while beautiful title song was deservedly huge radio hit, the rest is surprisingly undercooked, like these are demo tracks in search of big producer who would beef up things a bit. Husband Arsen Dedić as producer keeps everything very simple, but excessive dependence on synthesisers sound like shoestring budget and despite involvement of several first-rate collaborators (Đorđe Novković, Kemal Monteno, Rajko Dujmić and even Oliver Mandić) the final results find fifty year old singer placed in a icy-cold place, never before she sounded so distant and uninvolved. Between two bookends (title song and closing piano ballad "Oženjeni muškarci") music is only mildly interesting and perfunctory lyrics are too often downbeat, which perhaps explains why album placed Novak in the background, while louder and hungrier acts pushed their way to the front. Luckily, she will eventually find acceptance again in 2002. and as I can personally attest from her recent 2018. concert performance, she is still very much beloved and admired at the grand age of eighty two.