Croatia decided to abandon pop and go folksy instead. Nothing wrong with that. I just expected something slightly more folksy than this.
Klapa s Mora - Mižerja (Croatia 2013)
Once upon a time, many moons ago, Croatia was one of those really promising new participants - one you just knew would win the contest sometime soon. Well, Poland was another one of those.
For years already, Croatia has struggled to make a mark. It has been more than ten years since they last made it into the top ten, four years since they made it to the final.
As for this new adventure into folklore it is not sure whether HRT believes this is a winning formula or if they just gave into the pressure on home ground to present its local culture to Europe.
The chosen song is not a bad one and it faces less opposition from anything similar than many other contestants do. The specially commissioned klapa sings well and given a polished impression that could very well impress juries as well as older televoters.
But were the people involved all that keen on the whole klapa-idea to start with? Klapa singing is usually a cappella but is here baked into a solid pop arrangement, hiding most of the folk elements until the bridge of the song. Maybe it works better like that?
Qualifier:
Yes. Their singing abilities should impress the juries at least. However, I don't believe this Klapa will take Croatia back to top ten.
My grade: 3/5
Pleasant enough, and it could have been a top-5 contender twenty years ago, but this mixture of Il Divo and Old kids on the block take themselves far too seriously.
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