Beth Wimmer and Mike Bischof live. Saturday 11 May, living room Haarlem

Photo: Rob Postema

For the second time Beth Wimmer played live in our living room. This time together with her partner and guitarist extraordinair Mike Bischof. Touring behind her new EP 'Nature' Wimmer has three shows in The Netherlands. With her back catalogue of five beautiful albums the audience was treated to a two hour long stream of originals alternated with a few nice covers of hits from the past and an Alison Kraus - Robert Plant cover. In between stories of life, love and loss were told, introducing the songs.

Her songs vary between singer-songwriter, country, folk, pop and softer country rock. What ties them together is the beautiful voice of Beth Wimmer. The kind of voice that captures people. It is exactly what happened on Saturday. Most people present had never heard of her before and went away impressed and a fan. There also were a few fans who were present in 2017 and really wanted to be there again, bringing friends as well. That is exactly how an artist grows.

Photo: Rob Postema

I honestly wish I could fill a venue for her, as this is the number of fans a singer-songwriter with the vocal, melodic and song strength like Beth Wimmer deserves. If only I knew how. I'll give you a few reasons. I've already mentioned that beautiful voice, where she can put all sorts of emotions into. Like someone said last evening: "I can see that she lives her songs". The lyrics all tell stories we all can relate to in one way or another. Paying more attention you will find that they truly are well crafted. Everything is in its perfect spot. This makes for very pleasant listening.

The music on the records is different from a duo setting. Yet it truly works out beautifully. In Mike Bischof Beth Wimmer has the ideal sidesman. Playing bass on his regular guitar and rhythm through his fingerpick style, alternating with lead lines and solos. (Thanks to Mike I now know where that fine country guitar sound comes from.) Add his harmony vocals and things become pretty perfect. So more than "Pretty Good", one of Beth's songs. Let's not forget his more than just good lead vocal on the Kraus-Plant-Page song 'Please Read The Letter'.

Photo: Rob Postema

There was a surprise for the audience in the encore. The band Karen and I play in, Sweetwood, does one of Beth's songs for about three years now. In the encore we played 'Better Than You Think' all together, with four part harmonies. With a final cover song, 'Heart Of Gold', the show came to an end. after about two hours and a little, including the break, with a well-deserved applause. It is truly an honour to have such talented musicians play in our home.

Again, being so close to an artist shows how people get totally wrapped up in the music and the presence of the artist. All obviously went home feeling 'Pretty Good'.

After the show, we struck a deal. The next time they come to Holland, they will play here again, regardless if Paradiso becomes a reality. Which it should, bookers of NL!

Wout de Natris

You can order Beth Wimmer's music directly through her website under music and on her Bandcamp page.

The Girl With No Skin. Ella Ronen

The Girl With No Skin is an album that starts and the attraction is immediate. 'Truth' starts ever so slow. Light percussion, a bass, an acoustic guitar are played before Ella Ronen starts singing. It was totally enough to drag me into the album. The quality of her voice comes next, somewhere between high and deep. She seems to have both all at once.

Ella Ronen presents serious music. The kind that demands listening and receives it, without hesitation. Slowly but surely layers of guitars are added to the arrangement, all playing a different part. My ears keep jumping from one to the other, having a hard time to keep up, while enjoying the beauty of 'Truth' all of the time.

Ella Ronen lives in Zürich in Switzerland and just released her fourth album. When she was looking for a producer for her new album, she decided she wanted to work with Sam Cohen. When addressing him, according to Cohen, she forgot to send the song with the email. On the basis of her story he decided he wanted to work with her. Sometimes things are this easy, but let's be glad it was in this case. Together they created an album that makes an immediate impression. Music can be serious and highly enjoyable. The Girl With No Skin is such an album.

In general Ella Ronen is not in a hurry. Her songs take their time. Her stories slowly unfold themself. The surprises come in the music. Little stabs in the arrangement are allowed for, keeping the listener on his toes. Ella Ronen herself is not afraid to command attention to her singing as well. For example, by providing long notes showing her emotions, where she seems to keep them tied within her with her regular voice.

Things change in the fourth song, 'Fuck Cute'. The song has totally different percussion forms, underscoring her need to express to "fuck cute, pretty and sorry". She has had enough of it. The dark guitars provide an extra layer to her feelings. This combination of musical forms is a big part of the attraction of this album. At heart this could be songs that Ella Ronen could perform solo on a piano. I have no clue whether she is a pianist, and I could be wrong, but these songs do not sound like being composed on an acoustic guitar.

From that (piano?) basis the songs are totally dislodged to undergo a full treatment in Sam Cohen's studio, to come out as a completely different product. In 'Feel Of Rising' at some point there's no instrument left besides a little percussion. Less is more, is a leading motive on The Girl With No Skin anyway. Not always, yet certainly the thought is always present. This treatment makes it a modern album, containing, at heart, traditional songs.

The song that alerted me to the album, single 'I Just Want To See You', again stands out. Not only because it is a duet with producer Sam Cohen, but because of its utterly laidback beauty. Again in the background some mysterious sounds blow like the wind and dropping away like the wind can. At the same time, it is the most regular song on The Girl With No Skin. Two people expressing their wish to see each other, against all odds and distances. It is also the softest song.

What comes next is literally a scare when it starts. 'The Mall' is the rock song Ella Ronen presents. Distorted guitars and all. It is the ugliest song on the album as well. Dissonant by intent and delivery. Even her voice gets a treatment making it sound more electronic. 'The Mall' stands out like a sore thumb. Ella Ronen can rock successfully when she decides to do so.

In 'Tightrope' the mood goes down again. Only relatively though. The song has a very present drum part coupled with a Michael McDonald style electric piano. The combination makes 'Tightrope' the most poppy and commercial song of the album. Still far from what I associate with the charts today. I can imagine the song becoming a hit in more alternative charts. It sort of slides into my brain to stick there permanently.

Ella Ronen presents a varied album, mostly very serious but a glorious listening experience. From beginning to end she holds me mesmerised and taking me on her musical ride, showing me her stories and family history as in 'Rearview'. The Girl With No Skin is impressive, this is the right word to use.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order The Girl with No Skin here:

https://ellaronen.bandcamp.com/album/the-girl-with-no-skin

Sophie Hunger Live. Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam, Saturday 25 June 2022 with Géonne Hartman

Photo: Wout de Natris

Another postponed show finally taking place. The surprise of seeing a very pregnant artist in the spotlight, starting to sing an a capella Swiss German song, without the microphone and you could hear a pin drop in Paradiso's Tolhuistuin. The surprise of seeing a totally different Sophie Hunger than ever before. A very confident woman, open, smiling, at ease with the world and herself. The surprise that every time she smiled it was like seeing the younger version of the wife of one of my best friends on stage. This just the beginning of telling you how perfect Sophie Hunger's show was.

Although she opened with the title song of her 2015, fantastic album 'Supermoon', in a radically different version, the backbone of the show was her August 2020 released album 'Halluzinationen'. An album that hangs somewhere between modern beats, electronics and great songs. An album released in the height of the pandemic and falling somewhat flat because no support was possible at all. Even the November 2021 show had to be postponed because of round 3 or 4 of the pandemic. With numbers surging once again in June 2022, this time there is no lockdown.

On stage just three players. The omnipresent keyboardist and flügelhorn player Alexis Anérilles filled up the whole space, so that drummer and percussionist Julian Sartorius could do his amazing rhythms. Just imagine an already complex rhythm to get extra accents within the fourth measure each time, and these accents are usually weird sounds for a drummer. It is as if Sartorius stops time as it were to deliver these two weird accents, before falling back into the rhythm for three measures once again. Rhythms can come from anything attached to or surrounding the drums.

Photo: Wout de Natris

Against this background Sophie Hunger can deliver her songs and play her guitars as little or much as she likes. She is the exact centre of the show and the music. If ever a singer shone on stage, it was Sophie Hunger during this show. She commanded attention. Conversing in a relaxed way with the audience in between, showing big smiles and sing the songs, no matter how complex they are, with an ease that shows how good she is.

Nearly all her albums go to number one in her home country Switzerland, although she lives in Berlin these days. The mystery for me remains, why doesn't she grow a little bigger each album here? She has the songs, the quality, the live performance. The upside is of course that I can see her perform from fairly up close, but I'll forgo this privilege, because Sophie Hunger deserves more, like the Paradiso or Melkweg proper and not the side venue.

We were prepared by her for the end. She announced that with the word "hope" things would be over. Except for three encore songs, of which one was a true punkrocker no less. Her baby will be a rockstar as it has heard so much good music from up close already.

I have seen Sophie Hunger perform five or six times now and all shows were great experiences. Somehow, I have the impression to have seen the best one yet. True or not, there's no way a comparison is possible, it shows how good Sophie Hunger is live. I was mesmerised for the whole time and looking around me, so was everybody else.

Photo: Wout de Natris

The evening was opened by Utrecht based singer Géonne Hartman. One girl, one guitar and singer-songwriter songs from her debut album. A new name to me, she made an impression with her pleasant voice and nice songs. Songs to listen to and the audience allowed for listening. There was no one talking and that is amazing to notice. in a larger venue usually someone always starts and that is the sign for most other people to start doing the same. Not in Tolhuistuin this Saturday. Geónne captured Sophie Hunger's audience and held it. Although I concluded at the end that the songs were a bit the same and the show could use a little more variation, I also noticed the half hour Géonne Hartman played was a time well-spent. She also plays with her band, so it might be worthwhile to check out her songs in another setting as well. All in all a very nice introduction to her music. I have the album on now, and it is quite different and interesting, I can share with you. Check it out sometime.

Wout de Natris

You can order Sophie Hunger's albums on her website:

https://store.sophiehunger.com/store/

and Géonne Hartman's album 'He Went To The See' here:

https://www.platomania.nl/article/11008051/he_went_to_the_sea/hartman_geonne