Already the first few seconds on THE MOTHER THE SON AND THE HOLY GHOST´S debut album indicate where the sonic journey is going. A fluffy snaredrum beat is fading into a loose electric guitar picking that reminds in a way of Bob Dylan´s mid-sixties electric "mercury" sound. Then the vocals of songwriter/guitarist Robin van Velzen also proove schooling of Rock´n´Roll´s best period in history. The songs´ strength is lying more in directness, intimacy and simplicity than in mere experimenting. The structures are rather classical. The ghost of Lou Reed might shimmer through the notes sometimes. Being anything but rip-offs the songs and recording techniques prove that you often get the most intense atmosphere in a song by leaving out everything that is not necessary. So the overall sound is pretty much based on guitar, drums and vocals. Overdubs with keyboards, bass or slide guitar are sparsely used but then fullfill a highly important role. The mostly folky songs are little stories of every day life´and past relationships, leaving a wide range of interpretation for the listener. "Go with the flow. /Get sucked in the vacuum of absolute freedom." van Velzen sings in a quite ironic tone, being joined by Betty Mugler´s (Hidalgo) pretty voice. The excellent songwriting, the convincing and close performance and the mix of stripped down crunchy Rock and beautiful folky ballads make this a highly recommended album.
> Review ZEIT-online (German)
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