ANA POPOVIC "STILL MAKING HISTORY" Source: Juke Joint Soul Date: 10/2009 Writer: Ben The Harpman

Ana Popovic, the Eastern European transplant that burst on the blues scene only a little while ago, is back with her second disc for Randy Chortkoff’s on-the-fringe label Eclecto Groove Records. On the fringe, on the outside, heralded as the contemporary of the contemporary; Ana Popovic is known as one of the artists that's pushing the limits of blues and its marketing (not necessarily the music) to its utmost limits. With Blind For Love, however, I believe Popovic has burst into the no man's land of "what do we label this album" for pigeonholed critics and listeners alike.

First and foremost, this is not a blues record, nor has Ana made a blues record in quite sometime. In fact, I think she is trying to shake the mantra of "blues artist" off of her resume. This is a singer songwriter/guitarist album quite like the vein of John Mayer or Eric Clapton's last few albums. Yes, Ana does have a few blues tunes in there because she can't deny her roots. It's easy to see that crossing over is what's on her mind with tunes like the sappy, mellow lite rock of the title track or the "pop blues" if there is such a thing of "Need Your Love." Popovic doesn't let the album fall completely into hokey adult contemporary pop-rock, which is what I would classify the album as minus the hokey. "Putting Out the APB" is an upbeat gospel stomper that's infectious and is probably the best Ana's voice is throughout the disc. She's not a strong singer and has never really relied on it to be her main instrument. It's strange to her Popovic cut her songs down to the 3 minute pop radio formula with it based around hooks, catchy albeit sometimes cliche lyrics, and riffs. In other words, Popovic is hoping you, the listener, will base your purchase of the album around the song writing skill rather than her blues guitar virtuosity.

Fear not guitar fans and blues fans, here in lies the paragraph where I give thee hope! "More Real" a gypsy-folk number displays some of Popovic's lightning fast guitar leads and some beautiful gypsy guitar. The whole gypsy presence really wraps itself around Popovic's stage presence and her outer beauty, so this song is a real fit for more reasons than one. "Nothing Personal" is an upbeat funk-pop tune that is typical Popovic material that has a great hook and funky guitar work. Blues fans finally get their treat with the final and longest track on the album "Blues For M," in which Popovic stretches out on some nice Strat-styled guitar work that we've all kind of heard before. However, for blues fans to endure the other 40 minutes of the disc to get to this lone blues track, it's welcoming to the ears. It's also the whole fact of what brought blues fans to love Popovic in the first place.

This album is tough to grasp, especially for this hardcore blues fan. Normally, the JJS would see it as another poor attempt at "blues" trying to be commercial. However, with the depth of emotion and rough-around-the-edges song writing, it's hard to cast it off so easily. Popovic is yet to truly make her mark as an artist rather than just a pretty Eastern European girl with a Strat across her shoulder. This album rather continues to mark an artist experimenting with different styles trying to find what suits her best and see just how loyal her true fans are willing to go with her. Years from now, this is what musicologists will note as an album of transition, whether its good or bad will be left up to the response of the fans. The jury is still out here.