HAVEMEYER – SLACKER CD

Autumn leaves on lush hillsides, the change of seasons in the West German province. A walk outside, inspired by the certainty of returning to the great warmth. A long-gone suburban comfort whose echoes can still be felt. Havemeyer’s debut album “Slacker” takes the listener there in the blink of an eye. Surprisingly timeless songs whose themes and structures are undoubtedly the product of biographically and musically adept songwriters, but whose coordinates have been established for some time. Jan Ebert began writing songs on guitar as a teenager and the euphoria for guitar driven music, in the best retro-indie sense, still pervades his work – lots of attention to textures, crystalline guitar picking, the occasional noisy outbursts and walls of reverb. At their peak, the songs on “Slacker” hit that sweet spot between fragile grace and raw energy that late Sonic Youth did so well. The songs were recorded live in rural East Germany, which lends an intimate feel to the pressure and urgency of the music. This drive is particularly noticeable in the lower frequency range. Looking at the lyrics, there is no shortage of romantic entanglements of friendship, love, betrayal and distance, which in itself is a bold move in an increasingly post-ironic world.