On the follow-up to his highly successful debut LP, Motor Songs, Bulgarian Cartrader becomes the storyteller, evoking nostalgia and sentimentality through these carefully curated postcards from the imaginary world of Soulgaria. In this new chapter of the Berlin-based singer’s career, Bulgarian Cartrader adopts the persona of the Balkan-boss, singing Byzantine gospel with the help of a Telecaster, a 100 years old acoustic guitar, many cheap synths and a love for classic soul and R&B. Bulgarian Cartrader is the moniker of Sofia-born, Music Moves Europe Award-winning, Berlin-based singer and producer Daniel Stoyanov. Previously Stoyanov had found success writing and singing for the likes of acclaimed German acts Peter Fox and SEEED. When approaching his new album, Stoyanov reflected on his past and cultural heritage. In particular, he remembered what one GI called him, while performing in a soul and R&B club in Mannheim, saying that he was a blue-eyed soul brother from Soulgaria. Adopting this persona, Stoyanov took influence from Bruce Springsteen, lacing the album with quirky storytelling and nostalgia. The album’s title itself is a take on the Boss’s debut record, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Greetings from Soulgaria is an album rich in storytelling. Nothing embodies this more than the single Telecaster Warrior, a wistful, back-country, R&B-blues tale that delves into themes of long-forgotten nostalgia. Jon Bon Jovi reminises about the times Stoyanov would go back to visit Bulgaria over the summer, buying CDs at the local market, which were almost always by Bon Jovi. Elsewhere on the record, Stoyanov details his struggle with depression (20 Thousand Miles), fighting trauma (Palace Gates), self-sabotage (Toothpicks), and young love (Watermelon Runaway). On Birds, Stoyanov reflects on his experience of meeting a man in Bulgaria who kept pigeons, while reflecting on the inequalities of broader life. Cliches can be a dangerous thing. Stoyanov has ditched many of the stereotypical traits that defined his first record. Yes, his sheepskin coat may be gone, but his love of cars still remains. Greetings from Soulgaria is a more serious and introspective record, written with love and care, styled in a unique amalgamation of electronic indie-blues that sets him apart from his peers. Soulgaria isn't just an album title—it's an invitation to another world, so why not take it for a spin?