Blaudzun - Lonely City Exit Wounds (V2 Benelux, 2022)
Esteemed songwriter and musician Blaudzun has made his mark on music over the last decade. His new album is coming out after a four-year break.
Ever since the release of ‘Seadrift Soundmachine’ in 2010, Blaudzun and his 6-piece band have made a big impression with live shows in clubs and festivals all over Europe. The release of ‘Heavy Flowers’ (2012) achieved the gold status in The Netherlands and was followed by two-year period of sold-out club tours in both the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Blaudzun played festivals in Europe and the US, like; Sziget, CMJ, SXSW, Pinkpop, Rock Werchter and Lowlands. The singer received many awards including Dutch Public Broadcasting Award for ‘Best Album of the Year 2012’, Edison Award (Dutch Grammy) for ‘Best Male Artist’ and an award for ‘Best Alternative Act’ at 3FM (Dutch national radio).
The album ‘Promises of No Man’s Land’ reached #1 in the Dutch Album top 100 and #6 in Belgium charts in 2014. The first single and title track ‘Promises of No Man’s Land’ gained a lot of success on 3FM Radio (NL) and Studio Brussels (BE). The song was selected as the closing anthem for the daily Olympic TV show ‘NOS Studio Sport Winter’ during the Olympics in Sotsji. Blaudzun toured Europe with sold out shows in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands. During the Summer he played festivals such as Pukkelpop, Lowlands, Hurricane, Southside and Bravalla in Sweden. The single ‘Too Many Hopes for July’ reached #4 on German college charts, the music video got nominated for the Berlin Music Video Award. Late 2016, Blaudzun released the first of his triptych album cycle Jupiter: Jupiter Part I. According to Rolling Stone Germany, the record was “…a genuinely powerful musical statement.” Final part of the Jupiter series titled _UP_ (2018) contained the indie hit song ‘Hey Now’.
Written as if it were his last album, with the drive of a novice; Blaudzun proudly presents his new album ‘Lonely City, Exit Wounds’ (release – Jan 20th 2022). It is his most urgent and consolatory record ever. ‘Lonely City Exit Wounds’ was written in a time when everything suddenly came to a standstill and all the worldly noise was struck by a deafening silence. From this silence a new era is now unfolding, immortalized by Blaudzun in 12 flawless songs.
“The songs on this album appear to be cheerful, but in truth, they are terrifying to the core. There is a chance that you will discover their true nature, but only if you listen close. It is my hope that when people do, they’ll find comfort. ” – Blaudzun.
The opening track ‘Lonely City Exit Wounds’ starts where Blaudzun left off, a grand and cinematic song that sets the framework for a new era. From there he takes the listener on a trip along his best pop songs ever; the consolation of ‘Closer’, the tribute that is ‘Real Hero’ and the hopeful perspectives that echo through in ‘Wide Open’. From comfort to hope; ‘Lonely City Exit Wounds’ is a document for the new decade.
Blaudzun is currently returning to the scene with his eighth studio album, Lonely City Exit Wounds.
The first single from the album is ‘Real Hero’. It is an ode to lust for life and to the everyday heroes that make our lives a bit more beautiful and worthwhile.
At the same time, ‘Real Hero’ is a very personal song for Blaudzun: “I wrote the song with the severely ill son of one of my best friends in mind. It has become a tribute to him, to his sister and his parents. At the time I wrote ‘Real Hero’ we were still hopeful that he would overcome the disease, but sadly things turned out differently. Last November, I sang a stripped-down version of the song at his funeral.”
Despite the sad reason, I think the Real Hero radiates positivity. The energy of the guitars and synths, the melody line of the chorus and the lyrics all contribute to this. As the world seemed to be inundated with hatred and disease last year, I still found there was a lot of beauty to discover in the chaos. People who know how to find each other when opposites seem unbridgeable, people who discover love in times of pandemic. People who do not resign themselves to loss and loneliness and who stand for themselves and their fellow man. Those are my true heroes.”
Revolver Promotion (photo: Andreas Terlaak)
