-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: Havemeyer
ALBUM...: Slacker
GENRE...: Indie
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Alternative, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Punk
YEAR....: 2023
LABEL...: Crazysane
COUNTRY.: Germany
PLACE...: Berlin
FORMED..: 2020
VOCALS..: English
ENCODER.: LAME 3.100 -V0
BITRATE.: 261 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo
SOURCE..: CD
TRACKS..: 9
SIZE....: 62.26 MB
URL..: http://crazysanerecords.com/product/havemeyer-cd/
- TRACKLIST
1 Vanishing 3:29
2 Hold The Line 4:05
3 Headlines 4:41
4 Wave It Off 2:40
5 Moonlight 3:06
6 Pick Me Up 3:10
7 Breathless 2:43
8 Swim 3:33
9 Two Weeks 5:30
Total Playtime: 32:57
"Dreamy, shoegaze-bomb for long strolls on never-ending mind roads."
- Aydo Abay (Blackmail, Musa Dagh)
"Not only powerful but also super infectious! Some of the best melodies of 2023!"
- CVLT Nation
* -EN- *
Havemeyer evoke nostalgia and bring pure bliss to the listener, reminiscent
of The Smiths, Interpol and Sonic Youth. They effortlessly weave together
orchestral guitars and big pop moments while their powerful live energy
creates a pristine wall of sound.
Autumn leaves on lush hillsides, the change of seasons in provincial western
Germany. A stroll outside, quickened by the certitude of returning to great
warmth. A suburban comfort long gone, its echoes still felt. HavemeyerÆs
debut record ôSlackerö takes the listener there in the blink of an eye.
Surprisingly timeless songs, its themes and structures no doubt the product
of biographically and musically seasoned songwriters, but its coordinates set
long ago.
Jan Ebert (formerly Jan Mⁿller) started writing songs on the guitar as a
teenager and the euphoria for guitar driven music, in the best retro indie
sense, still pervades his work todayù a lot of attention to texture,
crystalline guitar pickings, the occasional noisy bursts and walls of reverb.
At its heights, the songs on ôSlackerö reach that sweet spot between fragile
grace and raw energy that bands, such as the later Sonic Youth inhabit so
well. The songs were live recorded in rural eastern Germany which lends an
intimate tone to the pressure and urgency of the music. This drive is
especially perceptible through the lower range frequencies. When looking at
the lyrics thereÆs no shortage of romantic interweaving of friendship, love,
betrayal and distance, in itself already a bold move in an evermore
post-ironic world.
Dennis Jⁿngel, guitarist and occasional vocalist, also engineered and
produced the recordings. He brought to the project drummer Kevin Kuhn, whose
band Die Nerven he has toured with doing live sound for some years now. Kevin
always has the capacity for yet another interesting band project, making him
a prolific contributor to the current German music scene. Maik VleurinckÆs
sensitive and melodic bass completes HavemeyerÆs unique sound on their first
LP.
A blast from the past (circa early 2000s), into a shared provincial music
socialization, almost like sunken treasure!?öI think, writing songs like the
ones on æSlackerÆ is all I can really doö, Jan Ebert says in his typically
unassuming style. Well, thanks for the memories and godspeed Havemeyer!
*
HAVEMEYER release a collection of joyful sounds guaranteed to soundtrack your
summer vibes with Slacker.
What can be said about HAVEMEYERæs Slacker that accurately sums up just how
beautifully composed it is? Perhaps I could talk about the way in which the
melodies, chord choices, and just general accents and approaches to
songwriting are put at the forefront and pick it apart from a more technical,
music-theory-oriented point of view. Maybe I could even talk about all the
sounds I hear and what it reminds me of; how it takes me back to better days
and musical discoveries from my teen years. I could even talk about how the
subject matter of the lyrics relates to and resonates with my own personal
experiences.
Regardless what words I pen here today, know this û you are making a mistake
if you pass up Slacker. Every piece of this album, down to its physical
representation in artwork, is like a shoegazey dream come true, and one you
can still repeat even while awake! On surface value, Slacker has more than
enough to be appreciated and warmly welcomed through your ears, channeled
through your nervous system, and quickly attached within your heart. But for
me, itÆs the minute details I observe while listening û the way this album
treats the ears a way that the finest wine splashes upon the taste buds; IÆve
got plenty to say about this record, but IÆll keep it brief.
LetÆs just go ahead and get this out of the way now û my favorite track, at
least at the moment, is definitely ôHeadlinesö. This song, as well as much of
the album, absolutely takes me back to my first listens of Interpolæs Turn On
The Bright Lights, or even The xxæs debut album. ItÆs got a great two-four,
waltzy groove to the rhythm; alluring and hypnotic vocal melodies that will
put you into a trance; and instrumental embellishments that pepper in and
build in almost a minimalist sort of fashion, but growing with each measure
and not being without its expanded atmosphere. A catchy chorus, a wavy tempo
û IÆm even slowly swaying back and forth in groove with the song as I type
this! ItÆs almost got a reggae-esque style to its rhythm, come to think of
it.
The dreamy,
string-lights-running-across-trees-in-the-backyard-on-a-summer-night vibe
doesnÆt vanish one bit during the rest of the album. It wonÆt take you even
five tracks to lose yourself in the haze of HAVEMEYERæs rhythmic and melodic
prowess, but when you start spinning ôMoonlightö, itÆs going to really take
your soul places far away from your physical body û through time and space,
even. As if ôWave It Offö and ôHold The Lineö werenÆt enough to carry you
away, the gentle tides of ôMoonlightö, ôBreathlessö, and ôSwimö certainly
will. ôMoonlightö, in particular, is a track that has both a college party,
urban feel to its sound, yet somehow reminds me of my days in the
countryside, sitting by any given body of water with friends and nature and
just having a blissful pause from the everyday stresses of life, just soaking
in the moment. I think ôMoonlightö, as well as much of the rest of Slacker,
captures that essence perfectly.
The bandÆs bio listed on their Bandcamp summarizes their aura quite
adequately. The music presented in Slacker, as well as the sort of atmosphere
HAVEMEYER create, is pure poetry. It goes beyond even its own cited
influences. Even where elements reminiscent could be identified, HAVEMEYER
simply possess a niche of their own. It has the sort of reverbed,
somewhat-surfy, grainy musk of post-punk, while also blending all the
breathtaking, haunting vibes seen in shoegaze, and additionally pairing in
plenty of indie rock mainstaysÆ nostalgic tropes. ItÆs like a throwback to
things you love, but still a step in a new direction at the same time.
While that may sound a bit conflicting, thereÆs no contested pull of where
HAVEMEYER are taking you. This serves as a fine reminder that the things you
love and remember do not have to completely go away, but can be found again
in new and exciting ways. Slacker is almost like an audible manifestation of
taking your past, and all the things you enjoyed in it, and rebuilding it
into a bigger, better, brighter future. I believe virtually every element
within the nine-track span of it speaks to that sentiment wholeheartedly, in
a language we can all clearly understand.
All that said, I think itÆs about time you stop just reading about my gushing
of this record and go listen for yourself! Be sure to check out Slacker at
any of the links above! Follow HAVEMEYER on all available socials and keep up
with any and all endeavors. Beautiful work like this is always deserving of
your attention.
* -DE- *
Wer will nicht von einer geliebten Person in die Arme genommen werden, wenn
das Leben enttΣuscht, die Trauer ⁿberhandnimmt? Doch auch wenn man sich
schmerzenden Erfahrungen stellt, kann das zur Heilung fⁿhren. Heilung durch
Schmerz sozusagen.
HAVEMEYER prΣsentieren mit äSlackerô ein Debⁿt, das versucht, beide Aspekte
dieser TrauerbewΣltigung zu vereinen. Aus musikalischer Sicht hat das zur
Folge, dass sΣmtliche Songs angenehm dahinflie▀en. Der H÷rer wird in einen
Wohlklang aus flauschiger Watte gepackt.
Trotzdem ist das Album nicht etwa trΣge. Vielmehr klingen Stⁿcke wie das
leichtfⁿ▀ige äWave It Offô nach vertontem Freiheitsdrang, aber eben immer von
Liebe getrieben, anstatt anzustacheln.
HAVEMEYER regen dazu an, jeden Moment des Lebens auszukosten, denn ein Song
wie äPick Me Upô klingt trotz der zugrundeliegenden Melancholie, ja Trauer,
nicht trΣnenreich.
Vielmehr schwingt in den shoegazigen Gitarrenmelodien eine ganze Menge
Hoffnung mit.
Ein entscheidender Faktor fⁿr die anheimelnde Wirkung der Musik hinter
äSlackerô ist der Gesang. Warm, nie aufdringlich, aber doch emotional
durchtrΣnkt flie▀en die Worte regelrecht ins Ohr.
HAVEMEYER wollen zudem auch tanzen und das Leben, den Moment feiern, wie sie
u.a. mit dem locker-flockigen äSwimô beweisen.
FAZIT: HAVEMEYER legen den Fokus ihrer Musik klar auf die Gefⁿhlsebene.
Mitunter wirkt äSlackerô wie ein vertonter Wattebausch, in den sich die
gequΣlte H÷rerseele bedenkenlos fallen lassen kann. Unterschwellig blitzen
auch immer wieder nachdenkliche Momente der Innenschau auf, wΣhrend der
▄berbau bestens dazu geeignet ist, die alltΣglichen Probleme fⁿr eine Weile
zu vergessen.
*
Bitte jetzt schon mal den Ordner mit der Jahresbestenliste ÷ffnen, Havemeyers
Debⁿt hat sich ein lauschiges PlΣtzchen darin verdient.
Ganz gleich, aus welcher Richtung man sich dieser neuen Band nΣhert, vom
ruhigen Flow eines Songs wie Headlines, der klingt, als hΣtten sich Massive
Attack und Blur zum Minigolf getroffen, oder aus der Richtung eines
Tempoformats wie ôSwimö, in dem sich Aufbruchstimmung und Melancholie
gleichsam spiegeln û die Sache mit dem Widerstand kann man direkt vergessen.
Da ist etwas in den Stⁿcken von Havemeyer, das so unmittelbar berⁿhrt, als
wⁿrde die Musik einen schon kennen, bevor man sie geh÷rt hat. Hochmelodisch,
ohne auch nur ein Mⁿ ins Beliebige zu stolpern, manchmal beinahe
krautig-stoisch, dann wieder in offeneren Strukturen. ôIch glaube, ich kann
nur Songs schreiben, wie die, die auf æSlackerÆ zu h÷ren sindö, sagt SΣnger
und Gitarrist Jan Ebert ⁿber dieses Album. Wie wunderbar, m÷chte man ihm
entgegnen, bitte weitermachen. Die Band komplettieren Gitarrist Dennis
Jⁿngel, der auch produziert hat, am Schlagzeug der vielbeschΣftigte Kevin
Kuhn (Die Nerven) und Maik Vleurinck, dessen vielseitiges Bassspiel
essenziell fⁿr den Havemeyer-Sound ist. Stilistisch ist das auf eine Art so
rund, dass es fast irritiert. Es ist ein Mix aus dem besten vieler Welten,
wie Sonic Youth ohne die Styler-Neurosen, dazu 90Æs-Indie (der Albumtitel!)
und Neo-Post-Punk in unprΣtenti÷s. Eine grandiose Platte, eine tolle Band, so
eigenwillig wie anziehend.
-=- SHGZ -=-
-=-=-==-=-=-
Shoegaze
is a genre of alternative rock that
originated in the late 80s. The genre is very
difficult to define, and it is even more difficult to evaluate music
within it. Generally, the genre is characterized by its
shimmering vocals, reverberating guitars, and
textural distortion that create
a tranquil, opaque
feeling.
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