Sankt Otten
Morgen wieder lustig
Hidden Shoal Recordings

Sankt Otten have been one favourite of mine within their genre since I first heard them some records ago. Their new album, Morgen wieder lustig, is more of the same. Slow-floating, moody, atmospheric soundscapes. Germans are famous for picking strong starting line-ups of eleven for a winning team. In this case we're speaking the eleven songs of this album, and the chance of them being a possible champion. Sankt Otten are still Oliver Klemm and Stephan Otten, as a two-headed coaching team. And, 'lustig'.... It's quite an ironic title, I guess.

Morgen wieder lustig sounds a bit more introvert than earlier recordings. Sankt Otten sway slow-floating through their noir landscapes. This slo-mo effect suits of course their atmospheric expression. Otten/Klemm know how to create night-time moods, within a cool and neon-exposed world. I mentioned the irony of the title of the album. This is not joyful music, not even with tracks like "Unser Mann für das Happy End" or the single track Lustig, lustig, demain encore lustig. Not even "Mit Popcorn und Champagner" brings any bouncing popcorn or sparkling champagne, as one might expect. Morgen wieder lustig is quite cold and distanced, too synthetic and automatic, and I'm in a way disappointed. As I was after hearing "Lustig, lustig...".

Nevertheless, Morgen wieder lustig still is a perfect soundtrack for slowly falling autumn leaves, but, I'm sorry to say, it's far from their best album.

Copyright © 2009 Håvard Oppøyen