Some new music from my home town: Klee is a German pop act, who have been quite successful in the early 2000’s. After quite a break, they are back with their album Trotzalledem (“Nevertheless”). Release date is 30th April 2021.
Klee – About The Artists
The beginnings of the band Klee was rather dramatic. The band started as a quartet under the name Ralley, founded 1997. The original lineup was singer Suzie Kerstgens, keyboarder and singer Sten Servaes, guitarist Tom Deininger and bassist Michael Tscharnack. The project released two albums. Returning from a music video recording in Belgium, the band had a massive car crash in 1999, so that it took three years to recover from the injuries and to start doing music together again. In 2002, the reunion (without Zscharnack) was named Klee. Including the Ralley album, the Cologne project released eight albums so far. The most popular was Aus lauter Liebe in 2011, which made it to the sixth spot in the German album charts. The album also features the project’s most sucessful single so far, Willst Du bei mir bleiben (“Do you want to stay with me”), a Top 30 placement in Germany. Nowadays, Klee only consists of Kerstgens and Servaes.
Klee – Trotzalledem – Track by Track
The thirteen track album lasts 47 minutes.
1. Club der Liebenden
With Club der Liebenden (“Club of the Loving”) the song starts with a happy sounding, catching electronic pop track.
Herzlich Willkommen im Club der Liebenden
Im Club der hoffnungslos romantisch gebliebenen
Alles fängt an mit einem Lachen
Lass uns mit Liebe die Welt heller machen
(“A warm welcome in the club of the loving
The club of those who hopelessly stayed romantic.
Everything starts with a laugh
Let’s make the world brighter with love”)
Really cool opener, which even has a small Tears For Fears reference.
2. Kopfüber
Suzie Kerstgens’ crystal-clear vocals and the nice bass groove are the key elements of Kopfüber (“Headlong”) to me. No that much energy-spending as the first song, but a very nicely song with a strong presence – you just have to listen to it.
3. Danke Nein
Danke Nein is a song with a lot of sounds, quiet and powerful moments. The verses feel like a dialog between the lead vocalist and herself. Thereby, the song is not too solemn and still spreads the enjoyable ease of a pop song. Klee are using some English lyrics in here as well.
4. Weil Du ein Wunder bist
Für Dich sollen alle Sterne scheinen
Und Deinen Namen in den Himmel schreiben
Nur für Dich, weil Du ein Wunder bist
(“For you all stars shall sparkle
and write your name on the sky
Just for you, as you are a wonder”)
The song has some deeper (almost: darker) moments, but in fact, it is a lovely love song. Again, Klee, create just a lovely atmosphere around their message. Lovely songwriting.
5. Wir tanzen alleine
The story of this song is just amazing. A brave museum security, who sat on his chair and took care of the exhibits and the people, just decided to move away the chair – and dance. Wir tanzen alleine – “We dance on our own” is just one of the most beautiful songs of the album to me.
6. Zwischen Hoffen und Resignieren
Suzie Kerstgens names Zwischen Hoffen und Resignieren as her favorite track of the album. The song, which means “Between Hoping and Resigning”, is about the different options you have in live. Finally, it is our own fate and luck. It is not my favorite track of the album, but I do like it.
7. Wenn der Himmel auf die Erde fällt
The song connects to the happy electronic pop sound which the album featured at the beginning. The song is asking for support in difficult situations like Wenn der Himmel auf die Erde fällt – when the sky is falling on Earth. A song I just enjoy to listen to.
8. Befrei Dich
Aus einem Kreis wird kein Quadrat (“A circle will not turn into a square”) – this song is trying to motivate to re-think your concepts and ideas. Befrei Dich means “Free Yourself” – and that is just what the song is asking from the listener. It especially asks you to free yourself from the impossible tasks. Really good song.
9. Das Gegenteil von Glück
This song (“The opposite of good luck”) is the longest song of album. A slow, very deep song, which sometimes feels to overwhelm me emotionally.
10. Drachentöten
Drachentöten (“Kiling dragons”) is maybe the most intimate songs of the album. One of the key reasons is that Suzie and Sten perform this song as a duet. A lovely song describing common memories and their relation. Really beautifully done.
Du musst keine Drachen töten für mich
Keine Geister beschwören und nicht mit irgendwas aufhören
Du musst nicht zum Mond reisen und mir irgendwas beweisen
Ich lieb Dich so wie Du bist.
(“You don’t need to kill a dragon for me,
evoke ghosts or stop doing something
You don’t need to travel to the moon and proof something to me
I love you just the way you are”)
11. Mein Herz
With the piano song Mein Herz (“My Heart”), the album takes a short (2:27 minutes), but very intimate and emotional moment. Beautiful listen.
12. Glitzer drauf
The second last song comes with a happy sound and feels to be very motivating. But the song also has a very clear and intense ironic side. I just smile when I listen to it.
13. Septembernebel
I already stated that Suzie’s favorite is the sixth track of the album. Sten’s most valued track of Trotzalledem is that closing song, meaning “September Fog”. The song is about actively enjoying a moment you share with your beloved person. Indeed a beauty.
Klee – Trotzalledem – Spotify
Here is the album on Spoitify:
Klee – Trotzalledem – My View
I did enjoy listening to Trotzalledem from the very beginning, but I more and more loved the album after listening to it again and again. I just love the way Klee are telling their stories and arranging them with superbly fitting melodic elements. This his highest quality German pop music. Great album, for sure!
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