Leichtmetall: Wir Sund Blumen
Karaoke Kalk

The German voices of Marion Dimbath and Nicola Schüpferling breezily harmonize over a beguiling mix of trombones, tubas, pianos, drum machines, and vibraphones in Leichtmetall's whimsical Wir Sind Blumen (We Are Flowers). Don't be deceived by the seemingly naïve veneer of the group's classic pop style. Despite its sweetly innocent sound, Leichtmetall's cabaret confections are sophisticated pop of a very high rank. Consider, for example, the remarkable roller-coaster melody the vibraphone rides during “Spiel Mir Ein Lied” and the distinctive lilt plucked strings bring to “Au Bord De La Seine.” In “Erkennen Im Individium,” the pairing of the singer's deadpan delivery with archaic electronics invites comparison to Kraftwerk's Radioactivity with even the song's melodies suggesting a subtle connection to the album's title song. Elsewhere, wiry synthesizers dance throughout “Wir Sund Keine Kabarttisten,” offsetting the song's rather dirge-like atmosphere, while an oom-pah banjo and glockenspiel unite in the sparkling vignette “Füchschen.” A funky underpinning in “Kein Tanz Für 2” nudges Leichtmetall towards a more contemporary stylistic zone but otherwise the group fully surrenders to its idiosyncratic tendencies. Though it evokes a slightly earlier pop era, Wir Sind Blumen makes for a wonderful companion to Barbara Morgenstern's The Grass Is Always Greener.

August 2006