Search - Orplid :: Nachtliche Junger

Not my cup of Schnaps

W. T. Hoffman | Pennsylvania, United States | 06/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nachtliche Junger (Nocturnal Disciple) by Orplid, was a title by a band i heard of, while investigating the "new" folk music, which for me means psychedelic folk music, like Espers, Vetiver, Dev Banhart, etc. This music doesn't have much of anything in common with "new folk". Even the German psychedelic folk music from the early 70s, which was "Witthuser and Westrup", doesnt seem to have influenced this sound. Instead, altho I did hear some acoustic guitars in the mix on most songs, their scene isnt folk music. I would place this closer to German "LIEDER", like the classical songs that were written by Strauss, etc, often taking the lyrical poetry of famous German writers, for the lyrics. One of lyrics of these songs were written by Friedrich "Wilhelm Tell" Schiller. If I had to say where this music has its roots, it's in the LIEDER songs of the late 19th century. Most of the songs are sung in a voice with an almost operatic timbre, and orchestrated with some acoustic guitar, and lush string arrangements. Other songs, are spoke-sung, with the same nearly bombastic quality. Personally, altho the songs have this lush orchestrations, the melodies are often narrow, repetative, and do little to interreact with the harmonic movement. As for the lyrics, they do seem to have poetic depth to them. Much of the german is obscure. (I'd look up word after word in my dictionary, that I'd not recognise, only to find out the word's not in the dictionary.) Anyway, if you think this might be a piece of music like ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS, you'd be disappointed. It lacks that dramatic lounge singer quality, you get with Antony. Sadly, it also lacks the Berlin Cabaret type music, that would have been the other direction this could have taken. The esthetic qualities here, seem pretenious. The album art, lyrics, and orchestrations, say "Neo-Classical", but the total effect is neither psychedelic nor avant guard. I'm sure some people would love it though."