DT MUSIC Joey Fehrenbach Mellowdrama 2006 1. Being Around You 2. Runaway Child 3. Behold 4. Particles 5. Beltenebros 6. Rain 7. Remember 8. The House Of Lost Hope 9. The Beginning

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I will admit that I had no idea earlier that there is somebody like Joey Fehrenbach. Completely by a chance I got a message at one time from an old acquaintance that it is worth looking at this artist and particularly at his debut album called MELLOWDRAMA. The first thought before I managed to examine the recalled album is its title. Usually it is not a matter of chance, so that according to norms prevailing all and towards I should prepare to a war – ‘a beautiful, pure, noble love’ versus all possible adversities of a fortune, saturated with the junk and the kitsch, for which this genre is famous? To begin with I want at once to assure that nothing of that kind will take place. So it means that in this place I would like to discourage all the fans of some mawkish melodramas from listening to this album because you will not find anything for yourselves here.

The album is rather maintained in one style and fortunately (for me) it corresponds to my taste. It is obvious how much depends on so called ‘set and settings’, shortly speaking on the conditions in which we are listening to the particular album, on our mood, likings, state and sometimes even on the weather behind the window. I decided to conduct my first approach towards MELLOWDRAMA in the bosom of the nature (I know that I have already given it a head start from the beginning – it is known for some time that this factor always works on the plus), and more precisely on a park bench. The beginning of an experiment – 12: 07, the sky lightly clouded, from time to time the sun has emerged for a few minutes (it has always chosen the opportune moment and it perfectly harmonized with the music; normally I would think that it is a chance, however I have been into this music for too long and deep in order to believe in coincidences, besides you can check it by yourselves – I assure that it will work). There are not many people here so probably it is possible to start. Just put the headphones over the ears and we can start.

12:55 – the trial was completed. A very concrete album. The whole is blending into one long endearing story to which you listen just like the time has stopped for a while. There is a lack of some pitiful, boring and dull moments here. Everything seems to have precisely defined purpose, every sound seems to be selected perfectly, every melody is swinging our (lightly put to sleep) minds in a different way. From time to time a kind of a violent awakening takes place in order to abandon oneself to the blissful lethargy again after a while. An overwhelming impression that you swim carried with the music which Joey serves, causes that we lose the contact with that thing which is popularly called a real world.

After listening to this album I was not able to gather my thoughts for a long time. It all finished too quickly and too quickly I was forced to return to the reality. MELLOWDRAMA is a very ‘lazy’ album, I would even risk a stating that ‘little is happening in it’. However at once a correction is necessary because somebody could still think that it is boring, and it is just far to that. So where does a stating come from that it makes indolent? Well, when I already heard the last sound it was difficult for me to get on with anything. I simply wanted to sit still precisely in the same place where my adventure with Mr Fehrenbach has started and just to listen, listen, listen…

The sun set after 19:40…
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7 / 10
Marion