Melissa Bajric Reviews

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JUKEBOX WORLD

(English Translation)

In a rural environment where the waters run clear, and breeding youthful innocence; a small village in the vineyard region of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales was the place of birth and growing up of singer and songwriter Melissa Bajric.

The pretty 24 year old is seen on the cover of her latest album, the title of which is aptly called "Small Town Girl". A first impression is confirmed by 12 predominantly excellent, wonderfully melodic and touching songs; presented in a marvelous and disciplined manner by the young Australian. These are done sometimes thoughtfully, sometimes dreamily, sometimes in sad ballad style; but always genuine and natural, perhaps even a little too so for some with less traditional tastes.

After her debut album Believe In Me (2001) and the popular duets album Drovin' All Over (recorded with the two Australian country music veterans Bob Easter and Graham Rodger in 2003), comes Melissa's third album Small Town Girl. Following her successes in her homeland, the award-winning singer released her first international single "Blue Mountain Melody" - a solid and relaxed, Pedal Steel, Fiddle, and Mandolin dominated country song that has captured the hearts now of country music fans from outside of "Down Under".

Besides the title track, and the light-hearted sounds of the flattering "Luckiest Girl", Bajric puts forward three more self-written compositions, "Morning Bird", "Listen To the Rain", and "Little Girl In Me"; on this her third album produced by master of country guitar Lindsay Butler.

The pace picks up with "Truck Drivin' Man", not the well known Terry Fell trucker classic of Dave Dudley, but a work of the Australian singer / songwriter Norma O'Hara Murphy. With the Red Lane and Melba Montgomery composition "Sunshine Rain", a tastefully unobtrusive number, the listener is instantly reminded of the post-war style songs of The Judds; and from the repertoire of the Louvin Brothers comes the sensitively sung, little known country ballad "Are You Wasting My Time".

Small Town Girl is an album, exactly catering to the tastes of country traditionalists who prefer the somewhat relaxed and quiet approach in their music. Melissa Bajric is not only talented and skillful, she has a beautiful voice, writes just as beautiful country songs, and puts her heart and soul into her music. What is currently missing though is a few crisp up-tempo pieces, with which to provide the essential alternation in her offering. A well-intentioned piece of advice that could soon be fulfilled, as we hear that a new album is already in production, and hopefully a release will follow in the not too distant future.

Country Jukebox, Germany - January 2009

PREVIEW OF EPISODE 6 - SERIES 11

MELISSA BAJRIC

Hunter Valley chanteuse Melissa Bajric returns to Nu Country with the video for her song Too Long Between Drinks from her third album Small Town Girl.

Melissa, born in 1984, was raised in a small village near the vineyard regions of the Hunter Valley in NSW.

Her love for country music was ignited at five when she sang old time country songs at school talent quests while the rest of the bill was nursery rhymes.

Melissa honed her craft at country music festivals at Poley's Place on the Barrington, performing alongside her dad playing the guitar.

She performs at Poley's at most Easter and October long weekend hoedowns and cut her debut album Believe In Me in 2001.

In 2003 Melissa, Bob Easter and Graham Rodger released duets album Drovin' All Over.

Tamworth veteran Lindsay Butler had produced all of Melissa's albums.

During 2007 Melissa released first video clip, Luckiest Girl, directed by multi award winning video producer Ross Wood.

Melissa shares her NSW wine belt and coal mining roots with fellow singer Kirsty Lee Akers who released second CD Better Days at Tamworth in January.

Dave's Diary NU Country TV 9th January 2009

GETTING IT RIGHT - Melissa Bajric
by Bob Anthony Jnr

An understanding boss and a high level of enthusiasm are two factors which have allowed promising Maitland-based country music artist Melissa Bajric to fulfill her dreams.

With the release of her third album, Small Town Girl, Melissa has enjoyed growing recognition for her music, especially since picking up a TSA Award for the song, 'Little Girl In Me' from the album.

It is one of five own-compositions on Small Town Girl which was produced by Lindsay Butler for Drover Music.

It's been a very successful partnership, so much so that Melissa is currently working on material for her fourth album and is getting ready to go into the studio to record.

"I want this album to feature a lot more of myself and to do that, we intend to take our time "Since doing my first album when I was just 16, I've definitely learnt a lot and now really enjoy the recording process". "I like sitting in on every recoding session and I did that for the last album, because it's a reflection of me, but that takes up a lot of time."

Melissa happily admits her music is more on the traditional style of country music. "I grew up listening to traditional forms of country music thanks to my parents and that's what we recorded on my first album, Believe In Me, back in 2001." Melissa said.

"Since then I have still retained the traditional element but with each album, especially the last, I have started bringing in more contemporary sounds. It wasn't intended but I've found that is the case in the songs that I'm writing."

"This new album some things that are a bit different which I want to experiment with and that's an exciting challenge. Apart from what I have written, we have taken our time in sourcing other songs. I have also found songwriters whose work will suit what I am into, such as Norma O'Hara Murphy who has given me a great track and I can't wait to record it. I have also found a songwriter, Time Stanley, through the internet who is in Tennessee and he will have two tracks on the album.".

The album (the name is still under wraps) will again be recorded in Lindsay Butler's Tamworth studio where Melissa feels most comfortable. "I love it there, I think it has something to do with being in Tamworth, the country heritage and everything, and Lindsay has a great studio that I am very familiar with." Melissa said.

"We will be looking to release the album some time during next year but only when we are ready - we won't be rushing it.".

Check out Melissa Bajric through her wesite at www.melissabajric.com. Country Update August 2008 Issue 50

PREVIEW OF EPISODE 12 - SERIES 10

MELISSA BAJRIC - SMALL TOWN GIRL

Hunter Valley singer Melissa Bajric is well qualified to perform in the video for her song Luckiest Girl from her third album Small Town Girl.

Melissa, just 24, was raised in a small village in the Hunter Valley wine belt.

The singer shares geographical roots with 2007 Starmaker winner and 2008 best new talent Golden Guitars winner Kristy Lee Akers, now 20.

Both singers earned their stripes in talent quest in towns in the former coal fields and way beyond.

Melissa released her debut album Believe In Me in 2001.

And in 2003, with Bob Easter and Graham Rodger, she released popular duets album Drovin' All Over.

All of Melissa's albums have been produced by multi award winning music producer Lindsay Butler.

Dave's Diary NU Country TV 18th August 2008

SMALL TOWN GIRL

Melissa Bajric

One of the great things about editing ACN is the fact that I am pleasantly surprised when I hear an album that I’d missed out on or overlooked, and then discover some pure country magic – and Melissa’s album sits right smack bang in that wonderful category.

I’d pidgeon-holed Melissa (only through ignorance) as a young female bush balladeer, but SMALL TOWN GIRL is much, much more than that. This young singer has a unique vocal delivery that is as Country as can be. Her soft vibrato is as perfect as you remember hearing some of the genre’s classic female artists of the past possessing.

First up you can revel in the five beaut original Melissa tracks, the highlight of which is a toss up between Listen To The Rain or the title track – the current radio single getting lots of spins. You’ll find some spot on observations in the lyrics of her songs and you’re put on notice that here’s a songwriter worthy of your immediate attention.

Melissa then takes us on a poignant flashback with her worthy retelling of Joy McKean’s beautiful Wind-Up Gramophone before she revs up for a top gear version of Norma O’Hara Murphy’s Truck Driving Man.

There’s a definite Australian feel to this album – traditional, heartfelt and honest. One of the highlights is a great cut of the Louvin Brothers’ Are You Wasting My Time – also worthy of plenty of radio attention.

Lindsay Butler has done the production honours here and the LBS A-team are as tasty as ever – especially Lawrie Minson’s subtle harmonica cuts and Mark Moulynox’s pedal steel runs.

A self proclaimed bush ballad singer, Melissa is more than that, as this album showcases. She’s also well aware of where traditional country sits and thankfully she can deliver the goods.

Here’s small town girl with a big heart for Country Music – and isn’t that what we all want to hear?

Jon Wolfe Australasian Country News 17th November 2006

BUSH BEAUTY

by Deborah Minter

Pretty twenty-one year old MELISSA BAJRIC has been making her way in the Bush Ballad genre since her early teens.

Unlike some young performers, she isn’t confused musically; she knows exactly what direction her music is taking her. "As a young kid all my friends were listening to the ‘popular’ music," Melissa said. "It never did anything for me. I’d go home and put SLIM DUSTY on. I found that the Bush Ballads were something that was real to me, something I could understand."

Melissa recorded her first album with Drover Music when she was just sixteen. "On my first album the songs were those I’d been singing since my junior talent quest days," she said. "Looking back you can hear how young I was."

Melissa ‘cut her performance teeth’ in shows with ‘mature-age’ balladeer BOB EASTER. "I used to watch Bob sing when I was four years old and he was a superstar to me," Melissa smiled. "My first trip to Mildura (Country Music Festival) was just after the release of my first album. I was a little nervous. I walked into one of the rooms back stage and it was full of men, all my Dad’s age or older. I felt so out of place. But after two or three shows I found out they were all so nice. They really gave me encouragement."

"You’re put into an adult environment there (in the studio and on the stage); everyone around you is a lot older. There are a lot of very helpful people in the Bush Ballad arena, especially when you start out so young. There’s a lot to learn from everybody. I’ve also had a lot of help with making the transition from singing strictly Bush Ballad music to the way my style has developed. For my second album, I’ve been writing and experimenting with a little bit different style to my first album."
Melissa’s second album Small Town Girl has just been released, once again recorded with the renowned LINDSAY BUTLER as producer and on the Drover label. "Lindsay made everything so easy," she said. "I could really put my trust in him, but he always made me feel like my input was important."

This time Melissa has five of her own original songs on the album. "Some of those I wrote very recently," she said. "Luckiest Girl was written after I had started recording. I had put down a few songs already and was taking a break." Well, from recording at least. Melissa was appearing on the Festival circuit. "You’d get home from one festival, turn around twice and jump back in the car to get to the next festival," she said. "I wrote Luckiest Girl between my house and the first service station."

"We live in a little town with a local pub, a corner shop and a service station; that’s it. There was a time when you could walk down the street and you would know everybody. That’s starting to change. There are a lot of new houses going up, new people moving in, new attitudes, more distance. I felt a bit like a stranger in my own town. I wanted to write a song to capture that small town attitude before it disappears so I wrote Small Town Girl."

"Everybody needs a little place where they can spend time on their own. I was sitting down beside the river with the birds singing and the wind in the trees - even the cows in the paddock mooing. The song Morning Bird just came to me. Everyone goes through tough times in their lives and this song is a message to take time to appreciate the little things."

"I’m always going to stay true to the Bush Ballad style," she said adamantly. "But it’s also nice to explore the other sides of county music. I do try to stay as traditional as possible, but there’s more to traditional country music than just Bush Ballads." Capital News July 2006 Vol 31 No 7

SMALL TOWN GIRL

Deborah Minter

Bush Balladeers are supposed to be weather-beaten craggy old men… aren’t they?

Certainly not these days, with young MELISSA BAJRIC promoting a brand new image of fresh faced beauty to the genre, along with other handsome young faces such as AMOS MORRIS and ANITA REE. Melissa has become quite an accomplished writer as well, as her new album proves, with title track Small Town Girl just one of five of her own compositions of the twelve tracks.

Morning Bird is a sweet waltz-time track with an engaging yodelling refrain. Luckiest Girl is happy and upbeat. Listen To The Rain brings encouragement to rain-starved farmers. Little Girl In Me reminds us just how young this fresh talent still is. Melissa also has recorded several favourite classics, Truck Drivin’ Man, Are You Wasting My Time and Wind-Up Gramophone.

Her delicate vibrato is gentle and sweet to the ear - not weather-beaten or craggy or old at all!

Drover DE008CD Capital News June 2006 Vol 31 No 6

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DROVIN' ALL OVER

BOB EASTER, MELISSA BAJRIC & GRAHAM RODGER

Drover Music is a collective of dedicated bush balladeers who consistently produce high quality traditional Australian country music. This newest CD, produced by the renowned Lindsay Butler Studios is an easy and effortless mélange of the three performers, either as solo or in duet.

The songs, written, for the most part, by the artists, are fine traditional ballads, tales of love, family and Aussie culture.

I was taken with the opening track, GRAHAM RODGER’s Missing In Action, a tale about the forgotten side of the Anzac Day march.

MELISSA BAJRIC has a light sweet vibrato that compliments the veteran voices of her label-mates. In combination with BOB EASTER, the comparisons with the team of SLIM DUSTY and ANNE KIRKPATRICK cannot be avoided, and is highlighted in the duets, Like Family To Me and the classic, The Kingdom I Call Home.

This album should sit well beside your Slim Dusty collection. Capital News October 2003 Vol 28 No 10