Black Cat On Your Doormat. Waltzburg

Allow me to start with the comment that is most obvious to make for me. Listening to the new Waltzburg album is as if The LVE has finally released a new album. The way songs are built up and arranged, the way of singing and the male - female interchanges, the themes, the mood and tempo of songs, it all fits. It is not though, as Black Cat On Your Doormat is Nijmegen's own Waltzburg's new album.

In 2018 Waltzburg can be found on this blog for the first time with its debut EP. Since things were mostly quiet here, barring two singles. So let me introduce the band first. Waltzburg is Joost Klapmuts (bass/keyboards), Jesse Smits (guitar/keyboards), Luuk Gerards (drums), Nicole Jansen (vocals/keyboards) and Menno Krivokutya (vocals/guitar). Together they play mostly keyboards and vocals driven songs. All in a mid tempo range, with lyrics that are introspective. Songs to listen to and not exactly to party to.

As there is a time for everything Black Cat On Your Doormat is the right kind of album to relax with and just enjoy. The kind of album that can take you away from the here and now for a while, making the listener forget the world around him/her.

It was surprising to read that on the album some of the oldest demos the band had made can finally be heard in their final form. Especially as this is the band's second album after releasing 'Cut The Wire' in 2019. By working with keys and synths these tracks finally received the form they needed. Guitars were only added later after the songs had received their current form. Keys are not dominant overall. In 'Decisions' guitars are very prominent as you can hear.

What I like most about Black Cat On Your Doormat is the relaxed way Waltzburg is playing. The band is not in a hurry and enjoying what it is doing. This mood comes across in an optimal way. The music is making me feel relaxed as well. I can surrender to this music unconditionally. Very much like I can with The LVE. One track may have some dance influences in the rhythm like 'Miss You', while others are more ballad oriented. The result is totally the same. Black Cat On Your Doormat makes for an extremely pleasant listening experience, with no ominous superstition vibes in earshot.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can order Black Cat On Your Doormat on the band's website:

https://waltzburg.com/