Bianca Stücker – The Glass Coffin (CD Album – Equinoxe Records)
Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, electro-pop, trip-pop, jazzy, folk, ethereal.
Background/Info: German Bianca Stücker is what we can easily call a ‘total artist’. She’s not only a musician, but also writing novels, running her own tattoo studio, teaching oriental dance and tribal fusion. She got involved with several bands and now released her debut solo-work, which has been co-produced by Winus Rilinger (The Eternal Afflict, Inside). He also added some extra synth lines.
Content: First of all this artist has a very particular timbre of voice. The vocals have something ethereal and bewitching, but other passages have been sung in a smooth way. Most of the songs have been composed by electronic gear, but Bianca Stücker also added harpsichord- and hammered dulcimer playing. It creates an authentic touch supporting the songs.
The songs cover a wide range of influences, moving from ethereal and medieval towards trip-pop, jazz, folk and cinematographic music.
+ + + : “The Glass Coffin” is an atypical composition for the impressive canvas of influences that have been used. Bianca Stücker clearly has a lot of ideas to exorcise and the least I can say is that she did a passionate and sensitive way. The music and the vocals are in perfect harmony. I however get the impression that the music has been composed to bring the vocals to a higher level. The use of authentic instruments also is a noticeable and artistic element of the work. It injects a real soul in the sound while resulting in several cool songs. Last, but not least I also have to say a word about the great and here again artistic digipak and booklet, which says that much more than simply discovering this album on a streaming platform.
– – – : The single reproach I can imagine is the lack of cohesion between several songs. The influences are that varied it sometimes gives you the impression listening to a compilation or a soundtrack.
Conclusion: This album took me by surprise, but it takes a few songs before I really got convinced. The second half of the opus is moving crescendo taking my last skepticism away.
Best songs: “The Thief”, “Shine Your Light On Me”, “Ephemerality”, “In The Parlor”, “Sparks Of Bliss”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.bianca–stuecker.com / www.facebook.com/biancastuecker
Label: www.equinoxe–records.com / www.facebook.com/EquinoxeRecords
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
