Dragon's Fuel: Pomorandze / Oranges

Anyone can dance. And dance one will on this Eastern European steam ship. A cruise along the Danube with the taste of rakia (a Balkan spirit) in the mouth. Sharing an unexpected sunny day during winter with a bunch of friends. This could explain the almost childlike song titles. One might wonder whether the title was the source of a song or vice versa. Every piece is simple in conception but executed with musicianly skill. Some pieces are played very freely, others, with a kind of Brit-rock resonance, are through composed.

Dragon's Fuel is a quartet from Novi Sad, Serbia: Lav Kovac on drums, Marko Curcic on bass, Vojislav Savkov on soprano and tenor sax and Predrag Okiljevic on tenor sax. Its sound is reminiscent of London's Sons of Kemet but more Balkan, with two saxophones instead of two drummers and bass instead of tuba.This is especially apparent in the title song, which encapsulates the essence of the album—melodically rich with strong dance rhythms. Pieces like the opener "Stablo Zivota" or "Trunk of Life" have such a striking melody that you want more and more of it and "Turbo Fuelk" (a reference to Serbia's notorious "turbo folk" style mixed with the "Fuel" of the Dragon) is the perfect conclusion to the album. It can fill you up with memories in an instant.

Each of the 11 tracks leads stylistically to the next and there is never a feeling of having too much of one thing. Just like a good rakia. The band is part of the Horz collective and this is its second album—youthful, confident and energetic.