Poland’s most memorable Eurovision moment is 2014’s saucy milkmaids and buxom butter churners, a performance that spawned memes a-plenty but split audience opinion (the UK jury rating it bottom, whilst the televoters ranked it top). At first glance this year’s Polish fourpiece might seem like they’re echoing that, performing as they do in traditional costumes. But beyond the frocks, Tulia seem to hold considerably less truck with that kind of nonsense.
They sing in white voice; no, not a form of musical supremacy, it’s a traditional local style, and bring this sound to modern classics. Their breakthrough was a cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’, boosted by being shared on the original band’s social media page. The response, so their official biography tells me was “encouragement from fans of the unique style of that cover, many of whom were wiping tears from their eyes in amazement”.
It doesn’t elaborate as to how they could see such a lachrymose response over the internet, but their popularity has led this song to be appointed as the 2019 Polish entry.
Visually, the band is a tantalising prospect, but musically I’m swiftly quite a bit bored. There’s a power to their harmonies that may well appeal to the wide Polish diaspora, but it can’t hide the fact that it’s really rather dull. They’re also a bit static; the preview performances have seen them swish their skirts about a bit, but otherwise it’s the four of them lined up and not much else going on. I don’t care how much of a kick back it is to the politically incorrect 70s – give me tits and a suggestive churn any day.
Monty’s score: 2 points