I have seen many album covers, but the cover of “Mein bestes Selbst” by the Berlin trio SHIRLEY HOLMES tops almost everything. A radiated face, with huge eyes and a mouth that looks almost threatening, stares back at you.
Should one recognize oneself here?
Grinning and daft, wandering through the world?
Laughing at the often invoked downfall?
SHIRLEY HOLMES has made a name for themselves in recent years through their activity and have become particularly known for their support performances before Beatsteaks and Die Ärzte.
In the early days, I perceived the band as somewhat over-the-top, entertaining, humorous, and provocative. They were never really my thing, which is why I am now curious to take a closer look at their latest work.
With “Verstört,” they dive right in. An English text with interjections in German and the magnificent, time-describing quatrain:
Too thin the skin, too delicate my mind,
too weak for what my eye sees.
Something blurred, what once was certainty,
so much too much, let me out.
In four lines, a state of mind is described in which many of us find ourselves.
Not everyone can do that.
Next comes a song about anxiety disorders. A sensitive topic that is becoming increasingly prominent in our society.
We continue within the S-Bahn ring to Berlin or to the city center of other cities; everyone knows a corner where a new “Work & Leisure Villa” is being built, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the residents of the area stand before this monstrosity, agreeing that this is exactly what was still missing. It’s not surprising that the trio gets nervous when people stare at houses. What are these people up to? Too much has already happened.
Houses to those who live in them!
After all these emotionally charged topics, it’s clear we need “Aggressive Music.” That’s music that matches my mood. Just go crazy!
Or would you rather love? We need love! More love!!
Lyrically, this is a great album that describes the emotional state of the current situation.
Anxiety disorders, love, downfall, existence in restless times... it fits!
What I personally struggle with is the sound. It’s all too noisy for me.
Punk rock is often pushed into a post-something, indie-alternative corner with noisy sound, where the good old punk rock can manage, but does it feel comfortable? Or is it afraid that something is coming soon, which has somehow also become a trend?
In its best moments, the album is really fun. It has pressure, it has power, and the lyrics, mostly presented from the first-person perspective, speak directly and unambiguously to you.
