As of the early Nineties, Antwerp, Belgium emerged as one of the strongest rock scenes this side of La Manche Channel. And it has quite a lot to thank Stef Kamil Carlens for that.
This multi-disciplinary artist (visual art, poetry, producing…), but mainly a composer, singer and a musician, was first a key mover behind quirky and angular kings dEUS, and later a more wide-spread sounding Zita Swoon that also went under the moniker of Zita Swoon Group. Now he is on his own with a great solo album “Stuck In The Status Quo”.
The multi-facets of Carlens’ art are more than evident throughout this album. The album opener, “The Journey Will Be Long” gives you a precise indication of what to expect - surprising arrangements ( the African influence explored on Zita Swoon’s 2012 album “Wait For Me” all over this one), light melodies and ‘heavy’ lyrics:
“What are they waiting on ?A Messiah or a time bomb ?And when the day comesWe’ll strap the weapons onSomeone betrayed usSomeone outplayed usWe’ll put the helmets onAnd when the war is done we’ll be…”
“Empty World” continues in a similar style and introduces us to tasteful use of a slide guitar in few of the arrangements and the Dylan influence Carlens explored more on his Dylan tribute from 2011. As far as exploring sounds done on tributes, “Dream Blues” goes into Tom Waits territory (Carlens revisited Waits’s “Rain Dogs, again in 2011). But neither song is an imitation but exactly what it should be - taking inspiration from a great artist and going your way.
Although Carlens did not go in the direction of Paul Simon, unless you count engaging lyrics, the title track seems to be a nod in his direction with its African rhythms and a gospel chorus. No Bowie this time around, maybe next, since Carlens s one of the collaborators on the project re-did Bowie’s seminal Low/Heroes albums in 2015.
To make the album complete, the closing two tracks “The Longing Stays Inside” and “Going Home” do kind of a review of what you have heard in less than 40 excellent minutes, great melodies and lyrics and inventive arrangements.
With Carlens it is hard to predict which direction he will be going into next, but by what he has done so far, it can only be a good one.
