Soooooooooooooo, my friends. I've struck gold again, haven't I. There's been a talented Düsseldorf punk band around for ages now with a name that couldn't be shorter: FranzlaufschnellernachErkrath already sounds like a song in itself. And the four lads are just as musical, giving their style the name “Designer Punk.” They're offering the first part of their album for free download at www.flsne.de, a fine thing, if you ask me. Here I'm greeted with 9 tracks and a total playing time of 18 minutes and 15 seconds. Hmm, exactly as long as the train ride I still have ahead of me. So off to the next tram and hit play!
I hear footsteps and a door opening. Now I'm welcomed. With a deep, hollow “HÖROIN!”
And then it immediately kicks off! BAAM! First track “Mein Dealer” is about how your dealer really does everything for you, as long as you give him enough money. A rousing, fast full-throttle number with a really well-mixed sound. Folks, this is a beast!
The next track starts with a scream of rage. Just as the title says “Liebe ist Gewalt,” the dark side of a relationship is explained here. Again it's full throttle all the way, making the rafters shake.
Now comes “Autobahn.” The sound remains fast, fat, and wide. A very nice interlude before the chorus. It's over just as quickly. Truly an Autobahn song.
Now it gets a bit calmer. “Me-Cunt and the Cops” tells a story about someone who deliberately annoys people and the police and gets away every time. A funny number, really witty lyrics. The bass line comes across as very playful. I'm sitting here on the train opposite an old grandma who's been wondering all along why I've got such a big grin on my face. She'll never know, but I'm telling you now: it's the line
“I'd rather be on the high seas than deaaaaad!”
Now follows a very melodic singalong part. With ocean sounds in the background. Yeah! I'm a pirate on the open sea. For me, the highlight of this album! CULT!
The next track makes me smile. “Der schlauste Papa der Welt.” The lyrics are just as hilariously awesome. I can totally relate to what you're singing about, dude, that's one killer song! Might not be for everyone, but definitely for anyone who has kids.
What follows is a number about a certain “Andi” – the song's called that too. Seems like a real annoying guy. The lyrics have a very nice flow here. Lyric-wise, the strongest performance on the record. Sound is again very listenable, a successful ska piece.
Ladies and gentlemen, THIS CAN'T BE TRUE!!!! They actually recorded the “Saber Rider” opening melody. Freakin' awesome. I'm sitting here on the train leaning my elbow against the tram window. Yeah! I'm mechatronic. Look at me! Look what a rad Saber Rider I am! An epic cover, especially because every note is spot on. CULT!
Now comes that deep voice from the beginning again, saying “Auf Wiederhören.”
All I can say is, I hope so! However long you might take, THE MAIN THING is that it gets finished!
All in all, FlsnE present a very successful debut. You can definitely tell that a lot more work went into it than a casual listener might imagine. The songwriting is precisely polished and (at least for me) you can hear it sparkle and shine. Keep it up, lads!
Rating: 2
