• achtergronden
• DE 7EVEN
• video's
• agenda

ernaast

Coparck | Birds, Happiness & Still Not Worried

Ambitious debut by new Amsterdam band.
CD, Labels

Tekst: Manuel Aalbers

Publicatiedatum: 01 november 2001

Do you remember a band called Kashmir? About two years ago, they were hyped by the lion's share of the European music press. They resembled Radiohead in some way, but unmistakably had their own sound. I saw Kashmir that year at a showcase in Paradiso, the famous Amsterdam stage. They played an enthusiastic 50-minute set, but somehow it never got going. It was not bad, but surely not as amazing as all reviews had told me. Two months later, Kashmir had a small radio hit, but since then I've never heard of the band anymore. Maybe they have made more records, maybe their record company dumped them (or the other way around), or maybe they're working on their second record, which will mean their final breakthrough. But this ain't no Kashmir review. This piece is supposed to review Coparck's debut record. Just like Kashmir, Coparck's debut is hyped by the (Dutch) music press, and, just like Kashmir, Radiohead is mentioned (among others). Usually Thom Yorke and his men are mentioned because both Kasmir and Coparck make advanced alternative rock music that embraces other style elements. Nobody suggests Kashmir and Coparck sound like Radiohead. And that's correct: They don't. The Radiohead link has more to do with the independent position these bands share. And do Coparck sound like Kashmir? Hardly, though 'Insert Space' has a Kashmir thing going. Coparck definitely have their own sound. A sound which may change, but will still be among the top of the bill. Coparck also resemble Belgian bands like Zita Swoon and dEUS, but this again should only be seen from the point that there is a lack of bands to relate Coparck to. Coparck never sound like any of these bands. And this is probably one of the reasons the band is hyped so much. You - as a reader - are supposed to be influenced by what music journalists say. But the sad thing is that music journalists are influenced by each other as well. Breeding among those of the same clan in the animal world leads to inbreeding, and the same can be said about music journalists and the records they review. What did this mean for me? Being an independent writer (at least, trying to be one), I was cautious and vigilant about Coparck. When I heard 'Birds, Happiness & Still Not Worried' for the first time I was enthusiastic: This was a nice record indeed, but not the one in million others had told me it was. But as I said, I was gonna be cautious, and I was determined to listen to the record at least ten times before reviewing it. Since that first time, 'Birds' has been in and out of my record player. And every time it's growing and growing. The songs, the tunes, the samples, the jazzy intermezzos - even the sometimes whiny voice becomes more than pleasant after a dozen listens. So what is Coparck all about? Rock. Emotional. Jazzy. Original. Coldplay meet Grandaddy. Scholars in pop. An occasional violin. Electronic interruptions and drawbacks. Lo-fi. Freaks. A sax. Vibrating (with heat). A unique sound. Strange lyrics that for some reason keep on buzzing in your head. Danceable. Guitars. A soundscape. A soundtrack. Advanced. Not really anything. Everything. To end with, something about the band. Coparck are four young males from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The band have only existed since 1999. They released a couple of demos. Demos, which are actually self-released EPs. One of those demos made it to Dutch magazine OOR's 'Moordlijst' (votes are by prominent Dutch music critics), but was disqualified for it for not being a "real" record. 'Birds' features the eight best songs from these past EPs, along with seven new songs. According to their website, Coparck have been influenced by Beck, Blur, Ben Folds Five, Bacharach, and Bach. My only worry is that Coparck will remain nothing more than a hype. I sincerely hope Coparck will grow beyond that stage. The music is good enough to go beyond limits. But we all know good music alone hardly means anything in the music business.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/coparck/birds-happiness-still-not-worried/951/
Meer Coparck op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/coparck