Earthbound. Lavalu + Heimat. Miriam Moczko

Today two albums. For two reasons. The musicians share albums with us that have some musical kinship and Lavalu produced Heimat. That is good enough reason for me to share the two records in one post.

Earthbound. Lavalu

Earthbound is an album with classical traits. There are many artists who produce modern classic albums in which a piano, often, is the sole instrument. Lavalu certainly is active in that segment of music, but instead writes songs. Her album is a serious affair, filled with songs that as such are small but brought to the listener as huge as possible. As if Lavalu and the musicians accompanying her are in the room with you. A voice, a piano and some occasional strings, like a cello or violin and that is all. The way the music is mixed, gives the huge impression. Listening through a headphone will make Earthbound all encompassing.

Lavalu presents her listeners with slow music. The kind to undergo at leisure and certainly not in a hurry. She wants to sing and play to you directly. Softly touching your ear and brain. The reward for taking your time for her.

Lavalu is Mariëlle Woltring, who lives in Arnhem but was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Earthbound is the last part of a triology of albums, starting with 'Solitairy High' (2017) and 'Midair' (2019). In between she composed the music to the theater spectacle 'Het Pauperparadijs' (Pauper's Paradise). Earthbound has, most likely due to the circumstances of the past two years, been recorded at home. Piano and voice come straight from Mariëlle Woltring's living room.

Besides Woltring two other musicians can be heard, Roosmarie Tuenter (alto violin) and Paul Rittel (cello). Both are also responsible for some of the background vocals. Together they are responsible for extremely intimate music, that because of the way it is mixed and presented can be very direct as well. It makes Earthbound an album to truly listen to and deeply enjoy.

Heimat

Miriam Moczko's album opens with the single 'White Wolf'. Had I not known better and not listening to closely, I could easily have been fooled into believing it was a track on Lavalu's album Earthbound. Intrinsically the two are active in the same kind of chamber pop music. Soft singing, classical instruments and at best hints at percussion. More so on Heimat. Lavalu produced Heimat and stayed close to what she is comfortable with, without creating a second Lavalu.

Listening closer Heimat is far more poppier compared to Earthbound. The album is lighter of tone, more playful as well. Take 'Brothers'. The finger clicking making up the rhythm gives the song a lighter touch, as do the harmony vocals.

Heimat is a serious album as well, making listening to it a pleasurable experience. The mix between the classical instruments and the pop part fully succeeds. Like the mix between the seriousness of the overarching theme of the album. A family history that lies in Opper-Silesia, now Slask in Polish and parents who moved away from there into what became West-Germany. A story showing that borders between countries have been volatile for ages. We only think they are not, a bit ignorant we modern people are in the face of history. That story is told on Heimat, meaning homecountry in German, but also something like where someone belongs.

Miriam Moczko has found the right voice and tone for her story. The mix between the serious sounding cello and a more playful piano or guitar works and shows what a modern singer-songwriter can achieve with fairly modest means but a healthy sense of ambition. The result is a lush sounding album with the right mix of warmth and coldness as well as compassion and distance.

Wout de Natris