CD Review: Falk – Nie Wieder Allein (Never Alone Again)
by Antony Bailey for Country Music News International
German country singer-songwriter Sebastian Falk, otherwise known as Falk, released ‘Nie Wieder Allein’ in 2019 alongside Alster Records and translates into English as ‘Never Alone Again’. The six-song album repeatedly touches on sentimental notes and spreads messages of love, hope, despair, and reconciliation – leaving the audience with a concoction of emotions including a sense of dejection combined with a feeling of being elated.
The second track on the EP ‘Stille’ (Silence) takes you to a sensitive tip before taking you back to a sense of feeling emotionally uplifted and fulfilled. It is not necessary to understand the lyrics word for word as the music guides you through what are three tempestuous minutes of raw emotion and heartbreak.
The third tune on the EP is titled ‘Wir Feiern Die Alte Zeit’ (We Celebrate The Old Days) It is much more upbeat as he sings about celebrating the past as opposed to looking back with anger, animosity, and resentment. It is a song that resonates with anybody who has been faced with a great deal of adversity in their childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and beyond.
Despite the language barrier, it is easier now more than ever to immerse into other cultures and reach a worldwide audience as we are able to translate the lyrics online as well as feel the music. It brings the world closer together by understanding that everybody feels a sense of heartbreak and loneliness.
‘Komm Schon’ (Come On) brings us on to the fourth track on the album. The country blues song contains a shuffled rhythm alternating between a common and cut common beat in the musical interludes whereas the recurring guitar solo is simply irresistible; and is perhaps the most uplifting and energetic track on the EP.
Falk helps the listener return to feelings of intimacy and hope as the song contains the refrain ‘Alles Wunderbar’ (Everything’s Wonderful) which is also the title of the emotionally stirring track. The song is crescendo building and offers a lifeline to those who need it most that life will get better slowly but surely yet it appears to be simultaneously tinged with hints of sarcasm and notes of dejection.
The final track on the album is a remix of ‘Nie Wieder Allein’ to give the album more versatility as well as creating a Europop/dance feel evoking images of German nightlife as well as a summer trip to Ibiza and Mallorca. The album is definitely worth listening to for a multitude of reasons.
For one, it is a country album sang entirely in German showcasing the direct influence country music has had on other parts of the world. Secondly, the album is a great way of discovering new music and expanding the musical tastes and language skills whilst leaving its audience feeling fulfilled and re-energised.