Warhaus - Karaoke Moon [LP]

Two years after Ha Ha Heartbreak, Warhaus, the solo project of Maarten Devoldere (of Balthazar), returns with his new album Karaoke Moon, out 22nd November on Play It Again Sam. Together with producer and multi-instrumentalist Jasper Maekelberg, the Belgian songwriter spent nine collaborative months in an attic studio in Bruges to comb through over 50 new songs he had written over 2 years. The result is probably the most exciting Warhaus album to date. Karaoke Moon toys with the theme of our modern views on masculinity. With his quirky sense of humor and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Maarten Devoldere effortlessly bypasses the uncomfortable conversation, mocking himself and his kind with double-edged wit. Quite often it seems like Devoldere is fighting with his own mind, diving into the deep waters of his subconscious. But dark soul-searching is not all of it: "No Surprise", initially a pumping disco track in it's demo version, is transformed into a sultry nightclub tune, complete with playful organ-driven singalong choruses. In "Zero One Code", the German novelist Herman Hesse makes an appearance, accompanied by wailing horns and a resounding bell that recalls "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave. "Hands of a Clock" conjures poetic imagery until the singer joins a choir in the richly orchestrated finale of the song, where it gloriously merges with a piano melody. Karaoke Moon connects passion and playfulness with mysterious intensity, and it's the contrasts that turn Warhaus' 4th record into an album that grows with each listen, seducing the listener to delve deeper, layer after layer, line by line, into Maarten Devoldere's unique universe.