Band : Get Well Soon
Album title : Vexations
Label : City Slang
Distributor : V2
Release date : 25/01/2010
Release : CD

Started in early 2005, GWS is the musical project (and band) of German singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Konstantin Gropper. (the following article based for a large part on the band’s Wikipedia page)

In the 3 years that it took him to write the 2008 debut full-length Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon, GWS released a total of 4 EPs (2005’s A Secret Cave and My Tiny Christmas, 2006’s Glaciers, Kisses, Apples, Nuts, and 2007’s All that Keeps Us From Giving In). Originally the album was issued through City Slang during January 2008 only in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, getting plenty of positive reviews in the main German publications. It was warmly greeted by fans, who saw the album enter the German album charts at #28. It also entered Swiss and Austrian charts, and had some success in the Benelux too. In support of the release Gropper took his band on a 19-date German tour…and with most of the gigs sold-out, it became the most successful newcomer tour in Germany that year. In June the album was released in England and Ireland through Nude Records, with more positive reviews (in such leading publications as NME, Word Magazine, Uncut, Artrocker,and Guardian) as a direct result. France followed in September, and again the press received the album quite positively. French fans made the album climb to #91 in their album charts. Following two singles (with the slightly phylosophical and cynical titles “If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting” and “Witches, Witches! Rest Now In The Fire”) in support of the album came the band’s 5th EP Songs Against The Glaciation (also issued in 2008). That same (very productive) year Gropper also wrote exclusive tracks for the Wim Wenders movie Palermo Shooting (the soundtrack of which also featured songs by the likes of Nick Cave and Portishead).

When listening to Vexations (or, in case you’ve heard the debut), the latter is hardly surprising, because Gropper has a soundtrackish songwriting style which includes multiple use of string sounds. In the couple of cases where he also incorporates horns in his music (which in spite of the use of that usually loud instrument maintains an overall melodramatic and serenely calmer mood) the music is even remeniscent of Ennio Morricone (for those who don’t know whom that is, he the guy whom wrote the music for quite a few spaghetti western movies such as the Sergio Leone classic Once Upon A Time In The West, and a lot of Leone’s movies featuring Clint Eastwood: check A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly). That comparison is set to the max during “We Are Free”, where the music is back with etherial female vocal sounds. Of course, those specific tracks have a way of steppin’ out somewhat positively in the set of 14 tracks on this album, because they’re a bit more lively than the rest! Which doesn’t mean the “rest” ain’t quite good as well, you just need to listen to ‘em with headphones on. That way, you get to hear every little detail in the nicely layered music the 8-piece band produces! Analysing that is a pleasure in its own, really!

At myspace.com/youwillgetwellsoon, you vcan currently find full-length mp3 files of 3 of the album’s songs, a snippet of yet another, and 4 tracks of the debut album. More than enough to convince you (either positively or negatively, because certainly not everyone is in this type of music, I’m sure…yet, if indeed you’ve been reading on thus far…?) to go to the record store for a listen to the complete album, or simply to buy it (or not)! Personally, I’m sold…plugged in…lost in heavenly contemplation when listening to GWS, and I’m certainly looking out to get myself a copy of their debut album! Ouch…nearly forgot to mention that the Vexations Tour started in late January with dates in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. I hope you got your ticket for the band’s gig at Ancienne Belgique on March 11, because that show is already completely sold out! Luckily there’s still Belgian shows in Charleroi (March 12, at L’Eden) and Bruges (March 14, at Cactus), and if you can’t make it to those, there’s also the March 6 & 7 Dutch gigs (for more info check the MySpace page).

95/100

Tony.