Town & Country
Listening Post 51. Aesop’s story of the city mouse and the country mouse described a clash of worldviews. In the hands and voice of the German singer-songwriter Claudia Koreck, city and country are competing and complementary forces within one body. On Stadt Land Fluss (City, Country, River), she explores this theme with her powerful yet gentle voice, floating effortlessly between adrenalized and mellow tones, singing in blues, rock and folk accents; the river enters the album mix as the thread connecting the two poles. The title track echoes Koreck’s personal trajectory—growing up in a small town (she sings mostly in Bavarian dialect), yearning for the big city and, after savoring urban diversity, culture and tumult, missing the peace, nature and family-centric life of the country (video 1). In Nummer 13 (Number 13), she sings of being pulled irresistibly from wherever home is, taking her to freedom and—in one of several album nods to her husband, partner, producer and band mate Gunnar Graewert—evoking the sentiment that “however old I am, with you I will always feel young.” The album’s production also reflects its theme: full-band tracks were recorded in a Munich sound studio, but two of the softest—and loveliest—songs, In da Wiesn (In the Meadow, video 2) and Sonn Aufgeht (Sun Rises), which highlights Europe’s refugee crisis—were recorded in the basement of Koreck’s country house, with children often in arms, grandparents on standby and, just maybe, a couple of ancient mice in a corner, bewildered by the spectacle. (Honu Lani Records)