Czechia, 1969, singer-songwriter / contemporary folk
Karel Kryl – Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka: Translated as “Close the Gate, Little Brother”, this album is completely sung in Czech, so it goes without saying that I understand nothing of what’s actually being said. The litany of Salome’s name is intoxicating, and perhaps he’s trying to invoke the beauty of her fatal dance. The slight echo of the microphone on some of the tracks evokes the feeling of a man playing intimate songs to an empty room, adding gravitas.
