"I didn't want to make this album. The reason for that was hopelessness," Friedemann writes about his new release, which is titled "Naiß." In the end, Friedemann went ahead and made the album.
"Naiß" conveys the hopelessness that Friedemann describes in such a way that, in my opinion, this album is overall much darker than all of Friedemann's previous releases. The singer of COR has brought in personnel support for this album. The songs thus receive a completely new touch. The character, the aura of the songs is entirely different than if just one man with his guitar and voice had handled the recordings. The music gains even more depth. This depth, in my view, generally brings more substance and power to the songs. Musically, it sometimes reminds me almost of Doom/Drone but also strongly leans towards Blues, for example, as in the song "Kleiner Planet."
As is typical with Friedemann's releases, these are not just songs that are sung. Every song, every line, every second is always also a part of the person Friedemann. A person who is a good observer of society and the world, both in the large and the very small. A person who reflects on himself and his environment and who wants to understand himself and others. These are the big questions for which there are usually no simple and certainly not positive answers.
Why does man behave the way he does?
Why do we continue to destroy nature, our own habitat?
Why do we treat our fellow human beings the way we do?
These are just three exemplary questions, but they keep appearing in the lyrics of the man from Rügen. I would like to specifically mention the song "Schrei." A song that portrays one's own helplessness towards oneself. This inner tornness, this helplessness... this feeling of not being able to escape one's own skin.
In contrast, the song "Ich liebe es zu wandern" is a song that encourages. A song that, perhaps a bit too grandly, is an ode to life. An ode to real life. What is real life? For Friedemann, it is about feeling. He sings:
No matter what they teach you, you have to feel it to understand.
Do we still have this feeling within us?
Feeling, loving, understanding, having understanding, Friedemann sings about mercy in "Meine Schwester die See." A term that many people associate with the church and faith. In this respect, the term may be startling, but it fits. To be merciful means to open one's heart and to perceive the needs of others and act accordingly. In a partnership, this is an important quality towards the other person. Friedemann manages to explain this theme very well and understandably in the few lines of the song "Meine Schwester die See."
Overall, the handling of language is something that stands out positively to me on this album. The lyrics are profound, contemplative, often melancholic, sometimes even cheerful, and they truly encourage. The lyrics are always understandable, clear, and very, very human. This is what makes the strength of Friedemann's songs. This is also what makes the strength of this album.
Did Friedemann want to make this album the way he did? Or was the beginning, the approach entirely different, and the album became what it is now due to external and internal circumstances? That is an exciting question to which I would love to have an answer. Especially because "Naiß" is different from previous releases.
Do not buy this album (and everything else) from Amazon.
Do not buy from Amazon!!
