Wir Sind Helden (translates as 'We are heroes'), are German and I became aware of their work during a voyage on iTunes. I'm sure we've all been on one of them - we go to something we know we like, get distracted, click on a few random bands whose albums have covers which might suggest a musical as well as aesthetic quality and See what happens. In this case, I found Wir Sind Helden. This has to go down as one of my more successful iTunes adventures, as others have found me listening to German drinking songs, yodelling and, more often than ought to be possible, sensible or sane, Busted.
As the lyrics are all in German and I've more or less dispensed with the little German I did acquire at school, my usual analysis of what the songs try to tell us will be skipped, since it would take a little longer than forever to do this.
Wenn es passiert gets the album of to a rousing start in a song which rolls along in a familiar indie way, but casts this aside in a chorus which is of the sort Simon Cowell would want the song to have, albeit without a choir appearing and a key change for the last chorus - although these are obviously best avoided in any event. Echolot offers us a softer track, with a light, muffled strum allowing the vocal to guide us through to the chorus, which truly brings the song to life. This is a cracking track, the final chorus to close being one which, if I was Simon Cowell (I don't know what's coming over me here with this Simon Cowell business), I would want played in one of the epic moments in a talent show - maybe the person who wins' best bits.
Von hier an blind, the track to which the album lends it's name, it a much funkier affair, which, in parts, echoes of an early Franz Ferdinand track for the verse, before turning to a distinctively punchy guitar pop sound for the chorus. And, towards the end, I'm sure I can hear a banjo, which is brilliant! Zuhälter (which translates as 'pimp' for all you German fans) has a sound which may only be described using an onomatopoeic 'boing' throughout the song, which compliments a playful sounding thrashing guitar with a male vocal joining the fray too this time.
Ein Elephant für dich ('an elephant for you' - yes, I'm sure that's right) isn't the most brilliant song ever, but it does show the diversity which Wir Sind Helden possess, in delivering a song which comes in the same rough form as Echolot - an epic sounding indie song, with a foot-tapping beat and a chorus chord progression to make you stand up straight and send a shiver down your spine. Darf ich das behalten is a darker song, with only a blunt guitar present for the first half of song. It's perhaps, again, nothing extraordinary, but it is well executed, with a slight break from the bleak sound for a joyous acoustic-led bridge.
Wenn es passiert gets the album of to a rousing start in a song which rolls along in a familiar indie way, but casts this aside in a chorus which is of the sort Simon Cowell would want the song to have, albeit without a choir appearing and a key change for the last chorus - although these are obviously best avoided in any event. Echolot offers us a softer track, with a light, muffled strum allowing the vocal to guide us through to the chorus, which truly brings the song to life. This is a cracking track, the final chorus to close being one which, if I was Simon Cowell (I don't know what's coming over me here with this Simon Cowell business), I would want played in one of the epic moments in a talent show - maybe the person who wins' best bits.
Von hier an blind, the track to which the album lends it's name, it a much funkier affair, which, in parts, echoes of an early Franz Ferdinand track for the verse, before turning to a distinctively punchy guitar pop sound for the chorus. And, towards the end, I'm sure I can hear a banjo, which is brilliant! Zuhälter (which translates as 'pimp' for all you German fans) has a sound which may only be described using an onomatopoeic 'boing' throughout the song, which compliments a playful sounding thrashing guitar with a male vocal joining the fray too this time.
Ein Elephant für dich ('an elephant for you' - yes, I'm sure that's right) isn't the most brilliant song ever, but it does show the diversity which Wir Sind Helden possess, in delivering a song which comes in the same rough form as Echolot - an epic sounding indie song, with a foot-tapping beat and a chorus chord progression to make you stand up straight and send a shiver down your spine. Darf ich das behalten is a darker song, with only a blunt guitar present for the first half of song. It's perhaps, again, nothing extraordinary, but it is well executed, with a slight break from the bleak sound for a joyous acoustic-led bridge.
Wütend Genug feels like a song which Maroon 5 wrote, then translated into German for a laugh and then put in a safe place, only for it to resurface on this album. It's got a similar bass groove and feel to 'This Love' for the most part, with only the chorus diverting from this Maroon 5 themed track. It's a perfectly pleasant track nonetheless. Geht auseinander has a little bit more of a purposeful feel, driven forward by a powerful synth riff, leading to a power guitar pop chorus. The bridge into the chorus has a more optimistic and light feel compared to the rest of this track, which, I think, features a flute.
Zieh dir was an continues the 'lost songs of other bands' theme, with this having the feel of an Arctic Monkeys song which comes post Favourite Worst Nightmare. The riff is very AM, and the quick delivery of the vocal might suit Alex Turner's voice just as well as Judith Holofernes' tones. Gekommen um zu bleiben is another track which would fit seamlessly on a Franz Ferdinand album. This bass-led track has all that we would expect from FF, with a funk and fire and groove and swagger in a great wee track which demands a foot to start tapping and a hip to start twisting.
Nur ein Wort was the track which persuaded me to invest in this album - it has pace, delivery and is another one which might see the air guitar be given an airing, albeit for a strum rather than some gut busting solo. It might even get your hands clapping and feet stamping too in the bridge. Stranger things have happened after all. Leben lang üben is our first ballad, which offers a soft piano with a light strum and many a lighter being waved around too - this is a big fuzzy blanket to the ears - whatever it's about, I'm sure it's very powerful. Bist du nicht müde provides a soft close to the album, with Holofernes' vocals soothing us off towards a gentle end to a good, if not great album.
The album tends to reflect many influences, without Wir Sind Helden finding one definitive sound which they may call their own. Von hier an blind has its moments, but, while it satisfies, it does not exhilarate consistently enough to be considered a great album. I'm glad I found them on my iTunes excursion, but this album hasn't impacted on me the way others have. Well worth a listen, but it won't make my list for album of the year.
6.0/10
Buy Von hier an blind on Amazon here: Von Hier An Blind
Buy Von hier an blind on Amazon mp3: Von Hier An Blind
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