Nevena – Debut | Progressive Rock Central.com

Nevena Dordevic, of the band, The Big Deal, released her first solo album back on September 12, 2022. The album was released on Frontiers Music Srl. Her debut album is full of AOR and melodic rock. Nevena Dordevic is a famous, Serbian vocalist, singer/songwriter, pianist, and educator. She is well known in her home country for her diversity in musical styles including musical theater, jazz, pop, and rock. She not only sings lead vocals; she also plays piano on this album, and for the band, The Big Deal. Joining Nevena on this journey is Michael Palace, who plays all other instruments and sings backing vocals.

Nevena was first introduced to Frontiers Records, by The Big Deal mastermind Srdjan Brankovic, who, was a fan of Nevena’s vocals, as am I. While still in high school, Nevena rose to fame as a performer and finalist on the first season of “First Voice of Serbia”. Since then, she’s been performing in front of tens of thousands of people all over Serbia and Europe. Nevena enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston to continue her studies, that she had started in her youth. Mike Palace joined in as a partner on this album, to enhance the sound of Nevena’s debut, with excellent musicianship and expertise.

Growling guitar from Palance and Nevena’s beautiful voice singing, Oh, oh, oh”, opens “Bulletproof”, as the two, like us, prepare for a Friday night of fun. Nevena sings, “Alright, it’s a Friday night. I’m ready to go. I’m going to hit the town, and see a rock n’roll show. It’s been so long that I don’t even know. Locked down and dirty, time’s been moving too slow”. After two years of Covid, we were all ready to get going. Nevena’s feeling bulletproof, and unafraid. She, like all of us needed to get out and live like we used to live, before Covid. Nevena sings, “I’m going into overdrive!” She continues, “We can raise the roof, we’ll be bulletproof”. She expresses the feeling we all felt so much after two years of lockdown, during Covid. Off to a great start.

“Bad Sun Rising”, includes the only music video from the debut. The song hits hard and talks about that continued feeling of wanting to get back to normal, as fast as we can. Can you image her and Frontiers’, sitting on this work and music for over two years, during the Pandemic? You can just imagine their desire to release this music. The video takes place in an abandoned home, littered with decay and aging poorly, without windows. But, it does look like summer, not winter, for Nevena, who wears a sunny yellow dress. The perfect contrast, between a sunny disposition, locked in a world of decay, with dwindling patience. Later, in the video, she changes clothing and eventually, the video shows her escaping the dilapidated home from below, on a sunny day. Great symbolism.

“Straight Into Madness”, is another song about, getting out and escaping getting stuck inside. A fun song about breaking out and enjoying yourself, if only, as Nevena says, “If just for one night”.

“Too Late”, is more of a rocker. Nevena goes after hate intensely! He also sings about, regrets for time lost, and the ways of the past, she misses so much. We’d all like to start over, but would we really change anything?

“Miracles”, is probably the best song on the album. The piano at the opening is perfect. A beautiful love ballad about caring and sharing happiness together. She really wants to find the perfect partner. She wants someone to prove to her that there is still a reason to believe in miracles.

The rest of the album is full of a similar spirit of rock and roll from the past, that I think everyone misses, amongst the soleless pop and other alternatives available on the mass market. This debut album presents an already successful singer and music group that knows how to capture the past well. It is a great pairing and an able debut for Nevena Dordevic. Sit back and enjoy a new voice singing the kind of music that many of us grew up with back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Time well spent, enjoying good music.

Track List:

1. Bulletproof
2. Bad Sun Rising
3. Straight Into Madness
4. Too Late
5. Writer’s Block
6. Miracles
7. You Two
8. Fire In Me
9. Brand New Heart
10. Veil On The Mirror
11. Outrageous

Websites and Social Media:

https://www.frontiers.shop/new-releases/1473/nevena-nevena-cd-jewelcase