Music

Album of the week: "Love" by Züri West releases happiness hormones

24/03/2017 written by Carlotta Henggeler
After his last album "Göteborg", everything has changed in Kuno Lauener's life. The bohemian has become a dad twice over - and there are two new members in Züri West. The makeover has paid off.

The cover of the long-awaited album.
Five years have passed since their last CD release. In today's music business, five years of radio silence is an eternity. Nowhere was there any news about the iconic Bernese band. No Kuno as a judge on one of the dozens of TV casting shows, no memoirs or mini-role in an indie film. Simply nothing - and that after 33 years of band history. The many Züri West fans in Switzerland were already worried about Lauener and his bandmates. With the quiet release of "Love" on March 24, their worries burst like soap bubbles on a balmy summer night.

The new album

Kuno and his Züri-West-Giele.
An album with the auspicious title "Love" by Züri West promises softly sweet ballads with subtle lyrics. The quiet songs are razor-sharp love stories from Lauener's universe. The Bernese singer hides his razor-sharp observations between the lines. That's why a new Züri West CD only unfolds over time. Like a new favorite perfume on the skin. The 12 new tracks only slowly find their way into your brain. Suddenly you're humming the chorus to "Schatteboxe" in the shower, on the streetcar or in a traffic jam. Non-stop, everywhere.

Once the lines have reached the top, they stick like caramel on dental implants. "Love" leaves you with an upbeat, light feeling that you can take with you into everyday life. It bathes the world in a more beautiful light for the length of the album. But can these feelings also be conveyed live? That remains to be seen. Züri West are touring the country with love in their luggage, the hot rehearsals are underway.

Verdict

A creative sabbatical like the one Züri West have allowed themselves would be good for other bands who release albums on a regular basis. The bank account suffers, but it gives the music time to develop. Like a good wine that needs time to breathe. A record that you can enjoy song by song, like a Grand Cru. After listening to "Love" several times, you can put it in your CD collection, the songs are already firmly lodged in your ear canals. But it doesn't hurt, it happens gently and with ease.

Recommended tracks

"Schatteboxe" - Melancholic piano intro, bittersweet lyrics, matching the black and white video clip.

"Schachtar gege Gent" - Lively rhythm, the dancing leg bobs along. Cool guitar line.

"Chliine Brueder" - a father with heart and soul. A dad who forgets everything around him while watching his kids. A sweet snapshot.

"Sunntig Mittag i de Sächzgerjahr" - Casual secondo anthem.

Kuno Lauener about the album

I used to like going to the pub and watching people. When you're famous, you can't do that anymore. For "Love", I drew inspiration from books, films and conversations.

ZÜRI WEST
Tour 2017
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Translated with DeepL