Oh Anneke, divine Anneke, how could we do without your voice? Here are another twenty minutes or so to finally savour. With La Mort, the second chapter of the trilogy La Vie, La Mort, L’Amour, inaugurated by La Vie in February 2025. These four tracks are now joined by four more. In which the contribution of the accompanying musicians proves fundamental, perfecting an extremely elegant sonic structure, developed through refined sounds that support an intact, warm, and austere vocal delivery, amid electric bursts and acoustic twists.
The first song of La Mort
The deep, solemn Fade In, Fade Out that opens the album is magnificent,
Fade out, fade in / That first shout is only the beginning / Fade out, fade in / You can run, but never fade away / Never fade away
A song that leaves no one indifferent, characterized by intricate phrasing and rhythmic bounces. It paints mysterious landscapes bathed in a spellbinding light, yet one that also conceals enigmatic pools of shadow, before giving way to the rhythmic Handle Me with Care.
La Mort: this precious material
Driven by an electric cadence that accompanies a ritualistic chant reminiscent of Lankum at their most extroverted (within the limits of the character hardened by the Irish experience), Anneke places no limits on her expressiveness, which seems poised to overflow. There are only four tracks on La Mort, but many of her peers would use this precious material to build entire careers!
The single Red Sky
Red Sky is the first single, and once again the track displays an organic quality that goes beyond the usual solo effort. With the voice taking center stage in a confident yet collective performance that remains ever-present, and a melodic approach suited for adult radio play. The album closes with the delicate Sail Toward the Sun: a gem of mature, lush pop. Sometimes, in the face of such grace, very little is needed—even four minutes or a little less.
And then you woke my world / Now I watch you sleep / Our journey ended / Too soon for me
But my dear friends, do I need to say more? Listen in silence, and thank Anneke for the great grace she has once again bestowed upon us…
Tracklist
- Fade In Fade Out
- Handle Me With Care
- Red Sky
- Sail Towards the Sun
Line Up
- Anneke van Giersbergen – Vocals, guitar
- Allie Summers – Backing vocals
- Camilla van der Kooij – Violin, viola
- Edward Capel – Reed instruments
- Gijs Coolen – Guitars
- Matthias van Beek – Guitars, backing vocals
- Rob Snijders – Drums
- Roel Blommers – Bass
- Thijs Schrijnemakers – keyboards