2019: Czech Republic | Lake Malawi | Friend of A Friend

Getting friendly: Lake Malawi to represent the Czech Republic

Following a combined online public and international jury vote, the group Lake Malawi has won the right to represent  the Czech Republic at Eurovision 2019 with their song, Friend of a Friend. The four-piece band faced stern competition from pre-vote favourites Jakub Ondra with Space Sushi and Barbora Mochowa with True Colors, but managed to top the final poll after a close fought battle.

Comprised of Albert Cerný, Jeroným Šubrt, Antonín Hrabal and Pavel Palát, Lake Malawi is a recognised act in their homeland, having released their debut single, Always June, in 2014. This was a minor hit on the local music charts, but it was the follow-up, Chinese Trees, which brought the lads to greater public attention. Since then, they’ve released several other singles, an EP titled We Are Making Love Again, as well as their first album called Surrounded By Light.

Now comes Friend of a Friend which has a certain early-Eighties electronic vibe to it, although it comes across as a rather lightweight Howard Jones-style B-side. Moreover, it just does not have the dynamism and contemporary spirit of 2018’s Czech song from Mikolas Josef.

Against Lie to Me it sounds rather second rate which is a disappointment considering the group's other indie output. Conversely, there is something charming about the song: It does possess a memorable chorus which at least gives it some capacity to pinch a few points from both the juries and the public and possibly scrape through its semi-final.

It's not exactly my pick, but I think there’s sufficient here for it to become a potential qualifier. However, the Final will be more of a concern. It could easily be the kind of song that is overlooked in a bigger, tougher field.

So, can the Czech Republic make the Final twice in a row? The track is catchy, but is that enough?

Czech Republic 

Artist: Lake Malawi

Song:  Friend of a Friend

Semi-Final: 1 | First Half

Lie to Me / Mikolas Josef / Czech Republic | Review

Mikolas Josef chosen to represent the Czech Republic

Česká televize has announced that 22-year-old Mikolas Josef has won the ticket to represent the Czech Republic in Lisbon with the self-penned song, Lie to Me.

It's probably no fabrication to suggest that the nation is the worst performing Eurovision country ever, evidenced by the Czech Republic’s wretched series of results since they began competing in 2007. Whatever the magic prescription is for Eurovision success, the Czechs have continued to miss the target in spectacular fashion.

It’s little surprise, then, that stylistically Lie to Me is a country mile from the likes of Malá Dáma and Aven Romale - as well as My Turn, the song Josef rejected in 2017.

With a beat aimed directly at the dance floor, this year's effort is a definite toe-tapper. Containing an incessant dose of brass, hand clapping and suggestive lyrics Lie to Me is likely to be one of the more memorable entries of the class of 2018.

This change of direction feels like the right approach for the Czechs to follow and it’s hard to find any obvious weaknesses with the end product (bar the necessary change to the profane lyrics). And yet, there’s something about the song that doesn't seem to quite connect. It sounds too American, too "we've heard this all before somewhere" and consequently, when all is said and done, it doesn’t deliver any definable Czech identity.

Nevertheless, there is a competent entry here, and Mikolas Josef's delivery is more than confident (if not - overly - cocky) enough to give the song a distinct chance of advancing to the final. As with every entry, an eye-catching performance and sufficient audience generosity should help it progress -  although it's not distinctive enough to be 2018's winner.

What do you think?

CZECH REPUBLIC 

Artist: Mikolas Josef 

Song: Lie to Me 

Semi-Final 1 | First Half

Eurovision 2016: Spotlight on Czech Republic; Azerbaijan; Malta

Czech Republic: Gabriela Gunčíková with I Stand

It seems the Czech Republic have finally figured out this Eurovision malarky. Last year, they sent a very creditable entry as their comeback song, only to see it founder in the semi-finals.

I Stand, their 2016 effort, is by far the country's most commercially creditable offering - at least, to Western ears - and has every chance of pushing the Czechs through to the Final for the first time. Why? Because it's the kind of towering, pot-boiler of a ballad that the core Eurovision audience loves - and will appeal appreciably to a number of the national juries.

Gabriela also serves up her own brand of visual attraction, ably supplementing the glamour stakes alongside her semi-final competitors Ira Losco, Iveta Mukuchyan and Samra - who also provide similarly dramatic compositions.

Will there be enough support to see them all into the Final, though?  Up until now, the Czech Republic has proved to be the weakest link. Hopefully, this year, I Stand will convince voters otherwise.

Appearance: Semi-Final 1, performing 10th.

Azerbaijan: Samra with Miracle

Despite not performing as well as expected in 2015, when Elnur Hüseynov's Hour of the Wolf ended up languishing in twelfth place, Azerbaijan return to Eurovision with a fierce mid-tempo ballad sung by local beauty, Samra Rahimli.

Miracle is a mighty pop number penned by (surprise, surprise) a trio of Swedes who seem to have a habit of composing entries with contemporary production values and dynamically captivating melodies. Azerbaijan appear to have struck gold with this one because it ticks many of the boxes required to be successful in Stockholm.

The only factor holding this one back could be Samra's inconsistent live vocals, but if she overcomes this obstacle then she should fly through the semi-final and score very well on Final's night. 

Appearance: Semi-Final 1, performing 14th.

Malta: Ira Losco with Walk on Water

 

Not content with the first review, Malta pull off 'a Belarus' and replace (the publicly-voted-for) national final winner, Chameleon, with the more satisfying - and ultimately, competitive - composition, Walk on Water.

While not a universally-supported decision at the time - what was the point of a national final and what about all those phone charges raked in during the public vote? - the Maltese appear to have deflected much of the criticism in coming up with a much more contemporary and exhilarating contribution.

Walk on Water is a bold, in-your-face pop anthem which possesses a naggingly incessant back beat, while its (somewhat) repetitive gospel-style hook manages to reel in the listener by the end of its three minutes. And those 'uh-oh-ohs' are a bit of a tease, too: where have we heard those before?

Of course, Ira is something of a Eurovision veteran herself, so expect a very professional and confident performance when she takes to the stage at the climax to the first semi-final. She should be equally confident of a place in the Final.

Look for Walk on Water to stroll into the Top 10.

Appearance: First Semi-Final, performing 18th.

What do you think of these songs?


All images by Albin Olsson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Review: Czech Republic: Eurovision 2015 | Marta Jandová & Václav Noid Bárta

Welcome back to the Eurovision stage to the Czech Republic, appearing for the first time since 2009. The country will be represented by the song Hope Never Dies sung by the duo, Marta Jandová and Václav Noid Bárta.

It's another entry chosen internally and also another in a long line of ballads at this year's Contest. This one has more of a rock vibe going on than the majority of those already announced, though. Produced by Ondřej Soukup, who has worked with a number of Czech hit makers and who has also written some award-winning movie scores, this song could quite easily characterize itself as a part of a soundtrack or concept album.

Some have described it as a vague reminder of a James Bond theme from the 1990s, but its sound is more reminiscent of the type of collaboration that Meatloaf and Cher might have tackled thirty years ago. It may be softer around the edges than that hard-hitting partnership, but the duo's complementary vocals are no less effective.  

The Czechs will be singing in English this time around and, for a song about love and hope, the lyrics are a little on the dark side: “There is no light to pray for / Cold and dim are the skies.” Not quite the feeling of optimism and ambition the title promises.

Still, let's hope the juries and the televoters are feeling a little more upbeat about this song's prospects. Sure, it sounds like many other conveyor-belt ballads, but it's a lot less beige than some. This duet certainly deserves some votes and the chance to appear in the Final, particularly as it's a hell of a lot better than the Czech Republic's previous three campaigns.

Not a winner, but a strong effort.

What do you think?