Another pandemic album with sad choral electro-pop.
Lately I’ve often wondered when the term “pandemic album” will have prevailed as a designation for those releases that deal with the major themes of loneliness and isolation. For three years, many artists have been pouring their need for a new authenticity and calm into their music. This aunty inwardness is constantly held in front of your nose and ear and only a few musicians were able to wrest cheerful, optimistic moments from the Corona period.
The 28-year-old Brit Westerman also belongs to the “Melancholy faction”. In 2021 he went to a studio in LA to record some solo experiments from the lockdown with his producer James Krivchenia (who usually drums with Big Chief) and band. Inspired by Bergman films, Westerman addresses his struggle with existential crises and stagnation. So far, so dull.
And yet: he and his reserved musicians manage to create atmospheric, quiet pearls. On “Idol” and “Give,” the band exploits the sound of the recording room as if you’re standing next to them, while synth pads contrast acoustic guitars. Westerman is a talented singer, the nine tracks are characterized by polyphony and sprinkled whispering, but his sometimes quite narcissistic style is quite exhausting. Also, the idea of breaking vocal beauty with rhythm and percussion isn’t new and sometimes makes the album seem a bit spring-weary.