Broodmen - 2025 - Liminality

(47:57; Broodmen)

Track list:
1. Homeland 4:42
2. State of Things 4:23
3. Amsterdam 3:31
4. Lament 5:36
5. Can't Stand the Heat 5:59
6. Badalamenti Gore 5:32
7. Through the Woods 2:50
8. Still Standing 4:23
9. Rumenka Blues 6:18
10. Everything's Going to Be Alright 4:43

Line-up:
Dragan Alimpijevic Pik - guitars
Zoltan Simon - drums
Lazar Novkov - accordion
with:
Vasa Vuckovic - saxophone


Prolusion.
Serbian band Broodmen appears to have been in existence in some form or other for the better part of a decade at this point, with the band hitting the social media platforms as far back as 2017, and it looks like the band released their debut album the very same year. Back in 2022 they released a live album too, and now in 2025 the band is out with their second studio effort "Liminality", which appears to have been self released by the band.

Analysis.
The sounds, moods and atmospheres explored on this production is of a kind and nature that makes me conclude that this is a creation that may well be of interest to progressive rock fans. And where an argument could be made for the band to belong inside this tradition too.

While they are described as being a jazz band and promoted by a jazz specialist PR firm, the landscapes explored here are quite a bit removed by what most people would sort under the jazz description I suspect. The main ongoing feature in that tradition, to my ears at least, is the rhythm section. With some occasional expressive instrument details from the other musicians here and there, but more often than not these aren't executed in an overtly difficult to grasp manner.

The accordion is a central instrument throughout here, and while the band refer to this instrument representing a Balkan tradition and a Balkan folk music sound, the main associations I get form the role of this instrument here is one that makes me think of the French chanson tradition. Light, elegant and flowing textures, dreamladen affairs of the kind that go hand in hand with sitting at a cafe sipping to some red wine.

The accordion isn't a totally dominant presence here though, and the impulses and associations described above come as a part of a totality. With expressive, jazz-style rhythms and a guitar that chime in with a steady delivery of rock music elements. And with a great deal of variety too. Minimalist post-punk inspired motifs exist side by side with bluesier landscapes in this specific context, with classic rock and garage rock also having their calling cards out here and there. Gently reverberating light toned guitar details adds a psychedelic and borderline cosmic feel to some of these compositions too, and at the very end of the album we get a kind of a "David Gilmour goes jazz and folk" construction too. Diverse landscapes that can be tight and firm as well as delicate and dreamladen, enthralling and mesmerizing at their best and never, ever uninteresting. With a high quality mix and production applied that dioes get the best out of the sounds and landscapes explored.

Conclusion.
While genre nerds can discuss back and forth on how to exactly classify the style of music we get to enjoy on this album, I'm rather confident in the perception that this is an album that will have an appeal among a progressive rock interested audience. This is a mainly instrumental blend of jazz and folk music elements that are explored inside of a rock-oriented context. Or jazzrock with a strong folk music presence if you like. And executed in a manner that makes me suspect that this is a band that may get just as many people intrigued by this combination of sounds in France as in the Balkans.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, April 2025

Links:
https://broodmen.rs/