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MEDLZ – (das) Läuft bei uns Vol. 2

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

MEDLZ - (das) Läuft bei uns Vol. 2

MEDLZ - (das) Läuft bei uns Vol. 2
4.6

Rating

 4.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Four great vocalists
  • Wide range of songs from different decades
  • Includes two originals

Four female voices in an a-capella band – that’s the rough concept of MEDLZ (which sounds a bit the German word “Mädels” for “girls”). The project has gained quite a lot of reputation in the past. On 15th October 2021, they release a new album. (das) Läuft bei uns Vol. 2 is a nice word play between “Das läuft bei uns” roughly meaning something like that’s the music we are listening and “Läuft bei uns”, which is something like “Things are going well”. Here are my thoughts.

 

MEDLZ – About The Artists

MEDLZ has been formed in Dresden in 1999. At this point of time, the band was called nonets. The initial lineup was Sabine Kaufmann, Silvana Mehnert, Nelly Palmowske, Lydia Ernst and Maria Juch. The first three ladies are still part of the project. In 2020, former No Angels singer Nadja Benaissa briefly joined the band, but she finally decided to be part of her former band’s reunion. Currently, the fourth band member is Juliane Köbe. The project has already released a total of thirteen albums (one as nonets).

 

MEDLZ – (das) Läuft bei uns Vol. 2 – Track by Track

The twelve track album lasts 42 minutes.

1. Uptown Funk

The album starts with the super-hit by Mark Ronson. The beat boxing qualities of the ladies is impressive – but even without them, they create a nice groove. Definitely a very funky version of this song.

2. Rise Like A Phoenix

The second song is a very different one. Rise Like A Phoenix, which almost feels like an aria, made Austria and Conchita Wurst win the European Song Contest in 2014. I have to say that the original simply has more bass and deep notes and thus feels more intense. The collaboration of the four vocalists is impressive though.

3. Viva la Vida

Obviously, these artist listen to very different kinds of music. The third song is a Coldplay classic. I love the ease they create around this pop–rock song. Especially the fragile leading vocals are adding a very special touch to the song. Cool!

4. Ich will

Finally, the girls listen to their own song as well – this track has been written by Silvana Mehnert. A very speedy, rhythmic song, which is really catching. Well written for these ladies.

5. Neue Brücken

To me, Neue Brücken is one of the best songs ever written by the German rock band Pur. A song about tolerance, building new bridge. In the Medlz version, the song sounds so different – but there is now lack of intensity – the song is too good and the ladies do an amazing interpretation.

6. Jolene

Okay, this band cannot be too bad – they listen to Dolly as well. Jolene starts rather slow, but then creates a cool groove. A key factor for that is you lovely the different scores of the voices are arranged. Great collaboration.

7. L’amore è femmina

From a country music classic to 2012, when Nina Zilli released this song. For this track, MEDLZ uses some instrumentation in the background. Feels a bit like cheating – but it just adds a nice sound. The Italian language does not feel to be a major challenge for the quartet.

8. Breaking The Habit

Would Linkin Park ever have dreamed of a version of their song, which sounds like this? Again, there are some backing melodies in the song, but the contrast of the light high voices and the powerful, rocking sound of the main voices is really cool. Like it.

9. They Long To Be Close To You

The 2021 album is also a travel through the decades. They Long To Be (Close To You) has been a Carpenters hit in 1970. MEDLZ move the song into their world – but the also feel to try not to change it too much and leave a bit of its classic style.

10. Relight My Fire

Dan Hartmann – or Take That for the younger generation: Relight My Fire was a success in multiple decades. Just due to the harmonics, this 2021 version feels to be closer to the boygroup, of course. I feel the ladies do great. A touch of Bananarama memories are coming to my mind and make me smile.

11. Phandoum dor Obor

The first seconds of listening to this song is unavoidably one of these “What the fuck?” moments in life. However, the ladies somehow don’t just honor Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, but they also transform it into their Saxony dialect – this is also why the song is written in a kind of orthography you might have to get used to. The girls also make fun about themselves in this song. I don’t tell you too much – but this song definitely made me smile a lot.

12. It Might Slip Away

The pop-alike song has been written by Maren Kips, who does not seem to be part of the band officially, but assisting it. The song is a nice happy melody and a beautiful farewell.

 

MEDLZ – (das) Läuft bei uns Vol. 2 – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

MEDLZ – (das) Läuft bei uns Vol. 2 – My View

A capella is always some sort of a special interest genre. But finally, the same applies to metal, country, techno and many other genres as well. The quality these four ladies deliver in their 2021 is really good. The songs are entertaining, having very different sounds and styles. They work with the original and turn them into MEDLZ tracks. To me, this album was definitely a great listen and thus deserves the Top Pick! banner.

 

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