Album review : THE BIG DEAL – Electrified

Frontiers [Release date : 17.01.24]

The Big Deal are one of the many bands that Frontiers’ A&R man, Alessandro Del Vecchio has nurtured over the years. All of them have benefited in some way from his presence . . . arrangements, production, songwriting, keyboards, bass and so on.

Since then, experienced guitarist Srdjan (Ronnie Romero/ Shadow Gallery) Brankovich, the band’s founder, has stepped up into a more leading role.

With his wife, Nevena Brankovic, they form the band’s centrepoint, handling guitar, production, songwriting and vocals.

Nevena is joined by the stunning Ana Nikolic at the mic. It’s been a while since we heard two female singers fronting a rock band.

On this, the band’s second album, a couple of high profile songwriters in the genre, Jonah (HEAT) Tee and Anders (Treat) Wikstrom have been drafted in to boost song quality. They co-wrote opening tracks, ‘Like A Fire’ and ‘Survivor’, both released as trailer singles last month or two.

The singers, Ana and Nevena, have a sizzling stage presence and a look-don’t-touch dress sense. To the extent the PR always points out that Nevena is a classically trained pianist… brains as well as etc etc.

There’s some compelling material here.

The unusually named ‘Fairy Of White’ and the skilfully structured ‘Broken Wings’ (not that one, or that one, or…), verge on Symphonic Rock. Ana and Nevena swap operetta styled vocal lines, telling dramatic stories, driven by anguish and emotion, which adds a tone of theatre to the songs. Brankovich’s electric, electrifying axe soloing adds a further classy touch.

So yes, there’s a spark there, clear as day, as the better songs slow dance toward greater things.

That’s further emphasised by the galloping, wordy ‘They Defied’. A song that’s apparently glorifying some kind of heroic act in Serbian history.

It brings to mind the band’s surefooted cover of the Nightwish song, ‘Amaranthe’, which in itself is again a signpost to a successful future. ***1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

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