Slovenian guitarist Jernej Zoran released “Watching The World Go By” on November 28th, his seventh studio album. Zoran picked up the electric guitar after seeing U2‘s Rattle & Hum at the cinema in 1988 in the former Yugoslavia, starting with a Czech-made guitar his older brother showed him the first chords on. He’s been one of Slovenia’s most prominent blues-rock guitarists for years now, playing American-made Stratocasters and building a reputation as one of the country’s most prolific songwriters. Since 2012, he’s put out seven albums and two EPs, including the 2021 all-instrumental project “What Happens If I Press This Button?” which got international attention. Early influences include The Beatles, Pink Floyd, U2, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Queen, Jeff Beck, and Clapton.
“Watching The World Go By” was made entirely online with musicians from Slovenia, Croatia, the United States, Ukraine, Italy, and South Africa. Zoran recorded his guitars in Slovenia, the bassist tracked in Croatia, drums came from Louisiana, and keyboards mostly from Italy. Guest vocalists from the USA and South Africa rounded out the sessions. Zoran’s been working this way for a while now, pulling in musicians from different geographical locations to bring their unique energy to his projects. It’s a sonic collage that ranges from tame acoustic moments to roaring electric guitar work, showcasing the full spectrum of what Zoran can do with the instrument.
This is a guitar extravaganza, and it covers a whole range of guitar playing. From wholesome ballads like the title track with delicate acoustic performances to loud, unapologetic instrumental rock like “Moonwalking Bear” and “Tears of Orion”. The latter of which the main melody is played with a slide à la Paul Gilbert and has enough shredding to compete with a Dream Theater song.
The key tracks to unlocking this musically packed album are “(Let Me Help You) Carry That Cross” and “Free” as they bridge the gap between those two extremes. In my mind, this is the core of Jernej Zoran‘s music. A balanced combination of rock attitude and melody, and surprisingly great lyrics. I say this surprisingly because even though this is his seventh studio album, it’s the first one with English lyrics! The tracks that do feature vocals have great lyrics and thematic cohesion with the music.
Case and point “(Let Me Help You) Carry That Cross” The harmony sounds like The Beatles and that era of 70s songwriters, while the lyrics are about thanking his mother for a debt that is impossible to pay back. If one could help lessen the burden even a little bit, then they should. The song features an emotionally charged guitar solo with lots of vocal phrasing. It’s a testament to Jernej Zoran‘s talent to be able to deliver such an incredibly emotional song on the same album as those other flashy instrumental songs.
After more than a decade of solo work and seven albums deep, Zoran’s carved out a space where technical guitar work and actual songwriting coexist without one undermining the other. “Watching The World Go By” proves he’s not interested in just showing off his chops. The international collaboration approach gives the album a breadth that wouldn’t be there if it was tracked in one room, and you can hear the different energies each musician brings. The album sits comfortably next to his instrumental work while pushing into new territory with English lyrics.
