СОЮЗ - KROK (2025) [Hi-Res]

KROK, meaning "step" in Belarusian, is the title and central theme of SOYUZ's fourth album, reflecting the band's journey after relocating to Warsaw due to the political unrest in Belarus and the war in Ukraine. The displacement inspired composer Alex Chumak not only in lyrical themes but also to switch from Russian to his native Belarusian for songwriting. The album, recorded in São Paulo, Brazil, with Brazilian musicians like Sessa and Biel Basile, as well as in Warsaw and Stockholm, is a deep and melancholic work filled with hope and a celebration of life. Although recorded primarily in Brazil, KROK is not a Brazilian or MPB album; it blends SOYUZ's Eastern European roots with jazz, folk, and global influences. The music is hard to categorize, featuring a mix of folk ballads and jazz-driven pop compositions with lush, often dissonant string and woodwind arrangements. Highlights include the title track, Chumak's first song in Belarusian, "Voo Livre" with cinematic library jazz, the heartfelt "Lingua Do Mundo" featuring Tim Bernardes, and "Cichi Karahod," which shifts into jazzy AOR / pop-folk territory. The album, created despite significant challenges, is regarded as a career-defining, original, and contemporary expression for SOYUZ.

Tracklist:
1-1 СОЮЗ - Крок / Krok [3:06]
1-2 СОЮЗ - Lingua Do Mundo [3:54]
1-3 СОЮЗ - Ніці / Nici [2:58]
1-4 СОЮЗ - Калі ты запытаеш / Kali ty zapytaješ [2:56]
1-5 СОЮЗ - Ціхі карагод / Cichi Karahod [2:49]
1-6 СОЮЗ - P7 Blues [3:01]
1-7 СОЮЗ - Voo Livre [3:45]
1-8 СОЮЗ - VCB [2:46]
1-9 СОЮЗ - Смак жыцця / Smak žyćcia [2:45]