Review by Tony Rounce
You’ve probably gathered by now that I absolutely adore South London-based twosome Karsten Van Der Tol and Joni Samuels, both as people and as the band Fräulein. I first saw them at Bristol’s Crofters Rights pub in early 2020, and for me it was love at first song…
The audience response to Fräulein’s closing set at LOUD WOMEN’s splendid recent summer party – where they earned a well-deserved encore for their intense, fiery set – suggest to me that my ardour is not misplaced. They truly are a musical force majeure; and, like their contemporaries and friends ARXX they make a heck of a big, impressive noise for a two-piece band.
If Fraulein are not the sound of now, I really don’t know what is…
‘Belly’ is both their second ‘proper’ single and their second single since lockdown ended, coming hot on the heels of the mighty ‘Pretty People’. A firm Fräulein favourite since it took its place as their live set’s opening number (where it segues into the magnificent, yet-to-be-released ‘By The Water’) it’s a dark, jagged roll-and-tumble of a tune that’s as much of a showcase for Karsten’s hard hitting, never less than compelling drum patterns as it is for Joni’s buzzsaw guitar crushing and passionate, at times bordering on feral vocals. It’s a song that really screams ‘listen, there’s something exciting and important going on here, you honestly don’t want to miss out’…
If you’ve enjoyed the Fräulein live experience, it’s very easy to close your eyes and picture them giving ‘Belly’ a typically blistering workout, Karsten looking intense and intent on keeping the tricky time signature on point, Joni slashing at her guitar and embracing the mic while shifting from the ball of one foot to the other in time with the beat, the seriousness of her delivery as she loses herself in the song totally at odds with her bubbly personality and a million dollar smile that confirms personal satisfaction with the way the show is going between songs.
Joni says that ‘Belly’ is “a song about how creativity can be bloody and exhausting for some people but really organic and energising for some others” and I for one will not be challenging the interpretation of the woman who wrote it – but I will add that it’s another superb recorded example of a band that is going places in a hurry, and that needs to be seen and heard as frequently as possible while they are still playing up close and personal gigs. It will surely not be long before they take it to the next stage…
Having played just shy of 10 shows exclusively in and around the London area since we were all allowed out again, Fräulein are taking a very brief break from live performance in the capital. Out-of-towners take note that they are debuting at Brighton’s Green Door Store on 25 September and will be venturing into East Anglia for a gig in Ipswich on 1 October.
‘Belly’ is out now. It’s available to hear on all major streaming platforms, or via Bandcamp, where one English pound will land you your very own digital download to keep forever….
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