Title: Solo
Artist: Peter Heppner
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 12th September 2008
Label: Warner
Introduction
I think there’s no need for a too detailed introduction for PETER HEPPNER who has become known as the singer and front man of WOLFSHEIM and even more with his various collaborations with other artists such as JOACHIM WITT or SCHILLER; and now, after quite a long time (especially for all fans) there’s finally a new sign of life with Peter’s first own album, aptly titled ‘Solo’.
Line-up
Peter Heppner . Music, Lyrics, Vocals
Website
http://www.peter-heppner.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/peterheppner
Track Review
01. Easy - 5:23
The title of the opener ‘Easy’ shouldn’t set you on the wrong track considering this a light-footed pop track as the melancholy reigns here while a slightly trip hop influenced rhythm providing the fertile soil on which partly experimental hackneyed ideas with the piano and discreet traces of ambience can grow to become the expedient company to Peter’s indicting chant.
02. Alleinsein - 3:25
On the contrary, his plea for being alone (Alleinesein) turns out as floating, happy pop song with more pacey rhythms. And let’s be honest: Sometimes we all need some time on our own, sever our ties to the world for a while; and if it’s just a day and just do what we really like. No matter what anyone’s thinking about it.
03. Suddenly - 4:40
‘Suddenly’ you’re all lone but “maybe you just reap what you’ve sown”. You never gave a fuck about other people’s feelings, exploited them whenever there was a chance, but now everything’s coming back to you “and you will fall” The piano plays an central part in this balladry track that, after a reduced start, erupts in a chorus that, with its orchestral passages is hard to beat in terms of dramatics and floods your eyes with tears.
04. Vorbei - 3:34
“When lies are everything that remains this will be no day like any other...” In a life only built up on lies, the day will come when no one will believe you any single word anymore, even if you’re telling the truth now. This could be the message of the song, but I guess the lyrics are open for interpretation, so there’ll surely be a lot of theories circling around soon of a song that constantly works with strings and again with frisky electronics.
05. Being me - 5:27
At the end of it all stands the realisation that ‘Being me’ “is all that stays when everybody else will fail”. Coming back to the non-textual side, ‘Being me’ is more of a down-tempo sometimes a little soothing piece, starting off from a reluctant base of fluctuating with a piano, submerged in them providing a smooth transition to the guitar solo, serving as a background for the now starting verses. Then the song builds up more and more to find its climax in a hymnal chorus.
06. I hate you - 4:31
This statement couldn’t be any clearer and actually the title already says everything. It’s literally about the hate you feel for somebody for what the did to you and no matter how long it takes and how much time passes by, you won’t forget a single bit of it and some day you’re going to take revenge, because “I hate you from the bottom of my heart” corresponding with the lyrics, some of the text passages in that rather rhythmically arranges song, are covered with darker synth themes just to make way for the orchestral parts in the chorus, whose lines can be seen as a promise.
07. No matter what it takes - 4:27
We go on with another very emotionally charged song, revolving around someone wishing he could deliver an undeniable fact for his love to a particular person, something to make her finally open up, knowing she can always rely on him no matter what happens or what she says or does.. Also this song comes up with quite straight and more up-tempo rhythms, enriched with the lovely sounds of an acoustic guitar and the piano which all can be just a support for a wonderful chant.
08. Walter (London or Manchester) - 4:27
This song that returns to the slower realms again has an incredibly captivating atmosphere, hovering somewhere between the immortal hope for a wonderful and carefree life and a subliminal melancholy embodying the fear that everything can be over all of a sudden A little difficult to describe what impact it has on me but I’m fully sunken into it and when it’s over it’s just like waking up from a dream. With many strings, sometimes louder, other times very subtly and a partly very edgy beat construction, it’s providing something for both the dreamers and the sound fetishists.
09. Wherever - 4:13
We stay in balladry climes with ‘Wherever’ that shows that a real change has to start within oneself before it can actually happen and that it doesn’t help to move somewhere new hoping that it ‘d all be different this time, but it’s still the same old you. New tonal nuances appear here with slowly played percussions, accompanying the well-known acoustic guitar which will be our companion for the whole song this time. All n all the song sounds much more organic due to these elements.
10. Das geht vorbei - 4:12
Nothing’s forever. A line you can see form two different perspective as Peter does during the course of this song. First the pain that will pass with time even if a scar remains, whether it’s the painful loss of a loved one or a failed relationship. But time also is a limitative factor in everything we do and no matter what this might be, some day time will put an end to our existence, because that’s the run of events and I sincerely hope we’ll never be able to stop aging and become immortal. That’s much more than this planet could handle. A piano is again the driving force here and carries Peter’s vocals on its brittle wings of melancholy to unite later with the layered mid-tempo rhythm and even after many listens you can still reveal new details.
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9
Conclusion
I wasn’t too excited when I heard the first snippets of the songs. To be honest I was thinking they were rather generic. But sometimes such samples make you jump to conclusions about the presented material, which turned out to be wrong in this case. The songs are diverse, cover many different spectrums and the fact that a different producers were involved in the creation of this album isn’t audible at any minute. It just sounds flawless. No cheap copy of WOLFSHEIM, but an overall distinct and fresh album. One can be curious about the tour…
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