Antje Schomaker looks out of the second window of the musical Advent calendar and sings – like an ambassador – into the conscience of men: “I don’t have to do anything”.
It is a statement that Antje Schomaker makes in the synth sound and we-are-heroes style to make it clear that she is tired of hearing a thousand times what’s “in”, what’s hip or trendy is and what exactly does not correspond to what promises success.
So the slightly rebellious, groovy “I don’t have to do anything” becomes a clear confession that it cannot be that you are only relevant “if you are a rapper or an old white man like James Blunt”, as Schomaker sings.
Why does everyone want to tell her how to do it? How about if everyone just looks at how they can do it better themselves is the core message of a strong song, which in the end is all about what you should or must be as a woman in the music business. And very often that has nothing to do with the music and the voice. Men could well think about that. This topic affects not only the music scene, but society as a whole.
Strength is not just about muscle strength. One can also be fragile and strong. That sings Liz Metta to indie guitars and makes herself heard thanks to her soulful voice. „Fragile & Strong“ (Ursus Records) is a song that comes through the back door, first has to conquer its place, in order to make the complexity of the composition more understandable from time to time. The songwriter, who lives in Vienna, once again shows her great talent for melodies that are thought a little outside the box, but which draw their charm from them. The Austro-American’s first EP is in preparation. Very promising.
Anja Thaler plays with language
One can also look forward to the debut album by another Austrian by choice. Even if you don’t want to admit it: the language often makes the difference. What may make access more difficult in English due to a lack of precise understanding, becomes more exciting in the mother tongue because the text receives more attention.
Anja Thaler, German living in Tyrol, wants to play with the language for an entire album and make the difference in expression clearly recognizable. With “wait” and „waiting“ Thaler sends a new song into the running, which makes more impression in the German version than in the English. Because powerlessness in the face of the knowledge that there is nothing to be done affects the poetic form of expression in the German language more strongly. By the way: Thaler wrote the text and music together with the Linz pop titan Andy Baum. The album should be released in February 2022.
If you still prefer it really Christmassy during Advent, you can for example Gary Barlow keep. The fact is that he walks a little on the paths of his ex-Take That species Robbie Williams. This applies to singing Christmas carols – with Barlow this is under the title „The Dream Of Christmas“ summarized on one album – as well as for the swinging big band note that defines many of the eleven songs.
But it can also be very classic pop, which should contribute to the good atmosphere under the Christmas tree (“Come On Christmas”). Then there are also the (necessary, although a thousand times overused) classics like “Sleigh Ride” or “Winter Wonderland” (here in a jazzy sound dress) or “Merry Christmas Everyone” (the completely calm ballad version of Shakin ?? Stevens Rock? ? n roll evergreens).
Source: Nachrichten
