Natalia Kukulska, Dobrostan – a review. Does the album really soothe souls?

When Natalia Kukulska releases a new album, one must give it a try. Is her new album – Dobrostan – (in Polish: well-being) worth listening to, and does it really make one feel good, as the title suggests?

Dobrostan – information about the album

Dobrostan is Natalia’s fourteenth studio album. It was released on November 15, 2024, four years after her previous album, Czułe struny. The album was released by the Agora music label. This is the singer’s fourth album released by this label, what proves their long-term and fruitful cooperation.

Dobrostan contains 11 songs composed by Natalia Kukulska and music producer Archie Shevsky. They worked together before, on the EP Jednogłośna in 2021, and now continued their cooperation. The EP had four songs, and they are all on the new album as well.

The album cover of Dobrostan by Natalia Kukulska

The EP Jednogłośna was very well received – both critics and listeners appreciated the artistic vision and quality of her mini-album. The reviewers complained only about the fact that it contained four songs – many listeners wanted to hear more.

After such a positive reception of the EP, Natalia Kukulska decided to record the full-length album. She invited musicians such as drummer Michał Dąbrówka, guitarist Artur Twarowski and producer and multi-instrumentalist Archie Shevsky, who co-composed and co-arranged the album.

Dobrostan was promoted with the singles: ‘Dobrostan’, ‘Jenga’, ‘Bez kontaktu’ and ‘Próba’.

Dobrostan – a review

How is sounds

Kukulska’s previous projects were highly experimental. In Halo tu Ziemia one could hear a lot of innovative electronics, and in Czułe struny the vocalist reinterpreted the Chopin’s works, introducing elements of jazz and soul. Dobrostan is a much calmer, more balanced album where chill out sounds dominate.

The album focuses on simplicity, emotions and harmony, without complicated arrangements or innovations. However, it shows that sometimes less is more.

The atmosphere of the album is sometimes meditation and relaxation-like. However, this does not mean that the album is flat. Quite the opposite – Kukulska can relax the body with calm, melodic songs, and then hit right to the heart with lyrics.

The lyrics

On the album, Kukulska presents her musical skills. She is an experienced songwriter, what can be heard in each and every song. The songs brilliantly combine sound with lyrics, creating a coherent, harmonious whole. The lyrics perfectly match the atmosphere of the songs.

Dobrostan is a journey through issues like self-development, relationships and everyday challenges. Kukulska emphasizes the importance of internal harmony, acceptance of change and openness to new experiences. Relationships are also an important thread – both with oneself and with others – showing the process of self-acceptance and an attempt to rebuild bonds.

The lyrics also touch on the topic of the need to escape the pressure of the world and find peace. There is reflection on the past and new beginnings – closing difficult chapters and looking to the future with hope. The whole creates a coherent, emotional album, encouraging one’s own thoughts.

The issues touched, make it therefore interesting, especially because they perfectly match the atmosphere of the songs. From a technical side, the songs are very well written – they contain many metaphors that tell the story in an interesting way.

The music videos

Music videos were recorded for four out of eleven songs, ‘Dobrostan’, ‘Jednogłośna’, ‘Jenga’ and ‘Próba’. All of them look very good, and each of them is different from the others.

The music video for the song ‘Dobrostan’ was released on June 18, 2024. The shots were taken in the beautiful Spanish Andalusia, whose landscapes perfectly match the atmospheric, chill-out character of the song. The combination of sound, lyrics and visuals creates a coherent whole, providing a unique experience while listening.

The music video for the song ‘Jednogłośna’ was released on September 24, 2021. The concept of the clip was co-created by the artist herself, together with Marcin Kopiec and Paweł Talaga. The music video presents intimate scenes from everyday lives of several characters, showing their turbulent relationships, which are soothed by music, singing, dancing and play. It featured known actors such as Tomasz Oświeciński and Krystyna Tkacz.

Opinion about the album

The album Dobrostan was received very positively. It reached sixth place on the OLiS list. This high result seems to be deserved – a few months after its premiere, it is still warmly reviewed. Listeners praise it for the warmth of the songs and how it can induce a state of harmony while listening. Fans seem happy with Kukulska’s return to simply ‘nice songs’, which may be a reference to her experiments on previous albums.

Personally, I must admit that I liked the album very much. It will definitely work well during quiet evenings by the light of a scented candle. It is not an innovative album, but it seems that this is its advantage – its lightness is captivating and encourages repeated listening.

Dobrostan induces a state of bliss, from which you do not want to leave.

Dobrostan – the tracklist

1. Dobrostan
2. Jednogłośna
3. Jenga
4. Bliżej
5. Pani Perfect
6. Bez kontaktu
7. Bezdomni bez siebie
8. Osobno czy razem
9. Pion
10. Lepiej nie pytaj
11. Próba

Opinion: Paweł Skarzyński
Translate: Natalia Walentyńska
Photo: Agora Muzyka

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