"Ennoeitai": Love brings suffering and elevates the soul . Review of the new CD album by Nikos Oikonomopoulos

The new album by Nikos Oikonomopoulos “Εννοείται” (EMI, Greece, 2012) has attracted attention of listeners long before the release. Two its pilot singles (Εννοείται and  Ώρα να πηγαίνω) have become leaders of the radio hit parades. 

Now the audience is invited to listen to all the 14 tracks, recorded by one of the best voices of our time

Let us do a cursory review of the songs according to their authorship.

Panos Kapiris, a prominent composer,  wrote 3 tracks for the album, two of which Εννοείται and  Ώρα να πηγαίνω  with the verses by Eleni Giannatsoulia  already are the top hits.  The third one, Εγω ο δυνατος, is a traditional zeibekiko with perfectly shaped melody and expressive lyrics by Niki Spiropoulou.

George Sabanis contributed 2 songs to the CD: Μελαγχολία μου (a contemporary zeibekiko -ballad) with the soul penetrating lyrics by Niki Papatheochari and a dramatic rock ballad Τρυπα Στην Καρδια on the words by Nikos Gritsis.

Three compositions came from the pen of the new author, Lemonis Skopelitis: these are two sad and beautiful ballads  -   Πόσο να πονεσω  and  Τι θυμασαι  (words written together with Fontas Theodorou) and tsifteteli - inspired  Με ποιο δικαιωμα.

Nikos Doulamis is a new collaboration for Nikos Oikonomopoulos. This songwriter has brought to the CD  two his compositions : a folk rock ballad Αυτό το σώμα (written together with Kristian  Doulamis) and a modern zeibekiko  Στασου.

The partnership with Christodoulos Siganos and Valentino, which started in the previous CD, is represented in the new album with 2 dancing tracks : Ησυχία and  Ki αφου χωρισαμε (with one more composer, Konstantinos Pantzis,  involved) - the last composition is an unusual mix of the Macedonian (northen Greek) ethnic music and latina.

Ethnic features also go very prominent in the jazzy fusion, which is the song by Giannis Ieremias (music) and Nektarios Tirakis (words) :  Ο καλύτερος εχθρός μου.

Dimitris Paraskevopoulos gave to Nikos his broken heart ballad Πως αλλάζουν οι καρδιές  which is placed in the CD under the number 14, the lucky number for this composer, as the same position had his legendary hit in the last year album of Nikos Oikonomopoulos (four times platinum CD Θα είμαι εδώ) .

Despite the variety of authors and genres, the songs in the album form a single cycle. They are united not only by the rich with all sorts of shades voice of the singer, but also by a variety of musical and poetic connections. Perhaps the key here lies in the theme of the selected songs. They tell us about the difficult and, even,  unrequited love, loneliness and how the man courageously goes his way of self-knowledge through the suffering. Thus, this cycle of songs, which, according to what Nikos Oikonomopoulos said, has got a part of his soul, shows him maturing as a person and as a musician. 

The album Εννοείται  is a valuable contribution to the treasury of the Greek laika song.