Erwin Thomas
Songs From My Apartment
Quartermain Records

Young Danish folk-pop-rocker Erwin Thomas has made a more than decent album debut. Songs From My Apartment is exactly what the title implies. Songs made and recorded (and produced by himself) at Thomas' home (with some minor drums and cello assitance). But this is not the regular lo-fi home recording stuff mind you. He's got a fine voice as well as being a skilled, pop-eared songwriter.

The eleven songs (10 plus a hidden bonus track) make Songs From My Apartment one varied hour of company. Most of his songs are of the low-toned kind, with a couple of exeptions. There are inner thoughts. Emotions. Feelings. Erwin Thomas shifts between guitar and piano, but all the time his voice is the main instrument. He also mixes the poerty of the lyrics and the melodies quite well, threading quite near the flowery fields of cliches. Yes, it's almost like he's flirting with them. Lyrically he touches the confusion and troubles of life and love. Yes, it's been done before, but it works quite well.

"Just a Mess" is a good example of Thomas' mixture of more silent parts with more 'temperatured' choruses. "Far from home" brings in some elements of the electronic. "Tonight" is the more lively track of the mainstream kind. It could even be a hit. It's followed by "Ain't No Hit", which is odd and thrilling, and will of course never be a hit. "In Dreams" is maybe the most impressing piece, being quite experimental. And "Adult Anxiety" is the most beautiful song. It's a quiet song with 'angkst' written all over it. Quite delicious nevertheless.

Well done Erwin, even though most songs aren't especially groundbreaking. But it's a steady and fulfilled collection of songs for rainy days. Almost perfect for a Norwegian summer...

Copyright © 2005 Håvard Oppøyen