Weltschmertz

["Yuriy Pragin" <yuriy@pragin.cncdsl.com>]

Weltschmertz -- “world-pain”, the unbearable heaviness of being…
Wow! Another  stellar performance by my favorite band. What stands out here,
beyond the intense, emotionally charged yet somewhat playful performances,
is the strength and diversity of the repertoire. First of all, there is the
amazing song selection. A few of the older "hits" (i.e. "?????? ????? ",
"???? ???????? ??????? ", "????????!” etc.) have been included, and this
would serve as an excellent introduction for the newer listeners. There are
only two artists that can bring me to tears with their music: Umka and Tom
Waits. Some say that Umka's music has gone through various
transformations -- I say her music has merely evolved. Umka's heart has
always been able to capture her emotions, therefore capturing the emotions
that we all feel, as human beings. As we evolve, then, so does her music. It
is melodic and beautiful but also dark and eerie. My favorite song was "????
??? ?????".  Ultimately, "Weltschmertz" glows with a strange mixture of hope
and apprehension. Umka is once again unafraid to be unabashedly romantic,
but there are scars everywhere. The hard-earned wisdom and arcane
sensibilities of this set make it one of strongest releases of Umka's entire
eclectic catalog. This is a great album. Do yourself a favor and buy it. You
can't go wrong with her other albums either :)

Love,
Yuriy