Trost & Trotz [LP]

Frau Lehmann - Trost & Trotz [LP]

After four singles (“Four Seasons”) and a half-EP (“Gewäsch,” a split release with Dirty Dishes), the debut album by Frau Lehmann is now being released. The record, featuring 12 songs, is titled “Comfort & Defiance” (“Trost & Trotz”). Frau Lehmann asked themselves what the world might need right now and put these two suggestions into the ring.

On Side A of the record, you’ll find the comfort: for example, in the upbeat “One Foot in the Grave,” the matter-of-fact longing for “Melancholia,” and the furious indictment of an artist’s existence combined with wage labor in “DLF Kultur Wants Us to Burn.”

Side B encourages defiance: an “Old Tune” transforms into a deeply familiar inner melody, “Restless Creatures” emerge from sweat-soaked sheets “When Evening Finally Falls,” and finally “Testament” roars from the speakers as a manifesto of endings and new beginnings.

The songs — sometimes danceable, sometimes lyrical — repeatedly deal with death. Yet all of them are life-affirming and bright. The album centers on dealing with change, both large and small, social and deeply personal, and seems to follow a dramatic arc of development. It reflects on the end of things without resignation or pathos.

The band’s guitarist, Toni Günther, translated the quartet’s live sound into a confident, rich, and dynamic production. Vocals, guitars, bass, and drums form the foundation of the songs. Percussion by drummer Felix Kothe and details such as harmonica, clarinet, synth, and organ tracks provide subtle vitality. Guest choirs by Annette Simons, Romy Jakovcic, Marlena Käthe, Bedroom June, as well as guest trumpet contributions by Karlo Wenzel, also enrich the album.

At the forefront are Fiona Lehmann’s lyrics and phrasing. Audible influences include Hildegard Knef, Nina Hagen, Christiane Rösinger, Stella Sommer, and Melanie. But above all, Fiona Lehmann’s lyrics and vocals are one thing: entirely unique.

Enyang Urbiks mastered the album and fused it into a warm, cohesive whole. Anyone with a high-fidelity vinyl setup will get their money’s worth. The artwork was designed by bassist Philipp Orlowski, who also contributed drawings to the booklet.