When a German band devotes its sound to traditional American Folk and Country roots the result often is a little out of place and music and words might feel somewhat affected. Not so with The Gentle Lurch, a trio from Dresden, consisting of Lars Hiller, Cornelia Mothes and Frank Heim, who comfortably can be ranged with the likes of Bill Callahan or Bonnie Prince Billy. Maybe because they don´t try so hard to conceal their origins, but rather put all their skills and passion unfiltered into every single note they play, the songs on their second album “The Beat of the Heart is the Beat of the Boss” sound paradoxically authentic. Therefore their music can live without being labeled Americana.
Already their debut “From Around a Fire” (2007) deserves a place among the finest New Age Folk albums. Oddball edges and a spontaneous handling of the instruments, such as guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica, next to Hiller´s deep grumbling talk-singing, at times duetting with Mothes´ winning, bright vocals made The Gentle Lurch´s trademark. So to hear now on their follow-up album, but the songs on “The Beat of the Heart…” gained in space and deepness. Most of them stretch out over five minutes, sometimes evolving into chamber-orchestral anthems. Therefore it was decided to spread the 14 songs over 2 CDs with seven each. On some of the songs the core trio gets expanded by a collective of befriended musicians providing a rich timbre that contributes to the orchestral approach of the album. Together with Hiller´s lyrics that seem to be gathered from the side of the road of life, some songs blow an irresistible spookiness. An old, almost rotten patina seems to coat the music. The protagonist is shipwrecked trying to find his place in a changed, hostile world where birds that used to sing suddenly shout. “It´s easy for memories to please me” he almost complains in the opening song “Time has done nothing wrong”. And it´s time and wide open ears the listener of “The Beat…” should invest to really get all the facets of this troublesome journey where in the end life is but a striptease show.
Tracklisting |
|
| CD 1 |
| 1. Time Has Done Nothing Wrong |
| 2. Owl III |
| 3. Tonight, I |
| 4. Pidgeons |
| 5. The Magic Ingredient To Flames |
| 6. Song Sung In A Wooden Voice |
| 7. The Disappearance |
|
| CD 2 |
| 1. The Villagers |
| 2. Folksinger |
| 3. Amendment |
| 4. What Are We |
| 5. Kept Woman |
| 6. The Modesty Of Our Demands |
| 7. Let´s Roll |
|
| > Listen |
|
