HAMEL, WOUTER

BOYSTOWN is de titel van het fonkelnieuwe album van Wouter Hamel, dat op 3 mei zal verschijnen. Meer dan een decennium nadat hij met zijn succesalbums Hamel en Nobody’s Tune zijn muzikale bakens plaatste in het toen onontgonnen gebied waar jazz en pop elkaar ontmoeten, keert hij met dit album terug naar die plek waar z'n muzikale hart ligt. De nostalgische sound van BOYSTOWN vormt een perfecte match met de warme, jazzy stem van Hamel.
Na een vliegende start in 2007 ging het Wouter Hamel na debuutsingle Breezy al snel voor de wind. De eerste twee platen werden platina, meerdere buitenlanden werden veroverd en zelfs het Koningshuis werd fan!
BOYSTOWN is een band-project, zonder externe producers/arrangeurs. Hamel en zijn pianist Thierry Castel werkten in afzondering aan de tracks. Ze creëerden een muzikale wereld die zich uitstrekt van vroege Brian Wilson orkestraties tot melancholische Scorsese sferen. BOYSTOWN gaat over voornemens en verlangens en de romantische single Live It Up linkt als de titeltrack van een filmklassieker.
Met optredens in Amsterdam, Den Haag en Utrecht presenteren Wouter en zijn band het nieuwe album live in Nederland. Daarna volgen optredens in Zuid-Korea, Japan en Duitsland.





Side A
1 Boystown 03:18
2 Fun & Games 03:13
3 Live It Up 04:16
4 Show me How 03:07
5 Legendary 02:36
6 Jordan Sky 04:05

Side B
1 Everyone But You 03:58
2 I Won’t Let You Get Away 03:38
3 Drinks On Me 03:23
4 Real Good Place 03:36
5 Mister Socialite 03:00
6 Live It Up II 01:41

BOYSTOWN is a collaborative project. Wouter Hamel teamed up with pianist Thierry Castel, who conjured up a richly textured, warm and vintage sound to complement the typical Wouter Hamel compositions. Jazzy songs like LEGENDARY seem to take place in a burlesque club. LIVE IT UP and JORDAN SKY have a cinematic, romantic feeling that makes one wonder: have these compositions always been around, waiting to be recorded in 2019?

Track per track

BOYSTOWN opens with menacing, carnival-esque chords that lead to a confident, relaxed verse. The bridge of the song sounds textured and rich. Rich background vocals, French horn, tuba, mellotron, banjo and quirky percussion give BOYSTOWN a unique sound.

FUN & GAMES is a fun, playful song featuring three recorders, an unusual and exciting sound in pop music. The French horn solo sounds luxurious and regal and reminds one of an old Italian movie filled with food and laughter.

LIVE IT UP sounds like a beautiful day by the coast, it’s finally cooling off while you’re making plans for a wonderful evening. The strings, mellotron and vibes give this song a cinematic quality, as if it belongs in a movie shot decades ago.

SHOW ME HOW has a catchy guitar riff that gets the song going. The vocal croons in the verses and wails in the choruses. There are several orchestral instruments that really define the sound of this track: piccolo, harp, bass clarinet and oboe.

LEGENDARY is a song about a club called exactly that. It’s the kind of place you love to go, but you know you kind of shouldn’t. The song is fresh and bouncy but still a little dark and twisted. It’s about celebrating life and features some crazy percussion sounds!

JORDAN SKY has a mysterious bassoon line that the song builds on. The vocal melody is languid and melancholy and stretches over luscious harp arpeggios. The string arrangement is enchanting and unexpected.

EVERYONE BUT YOU is rooted in pop, rock, soul and gospel. It’s about feeling free and having a good time. There’s an a cappella surprise in the second verse and the song ends with a jam!

I WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY is filled with romantic strings, a yearning vocal performance and a quirky guitar solo. All the arrangements are by Thierry Castel and he blew it out of the park!

DRINKS ON ME has a cool and collected vibe. The snappy verses contrast with a chorus full of desire.

REAL GOOD PLACE is a relaxed, groovy song that the band has played for several years now. It’s got a distinctly vintage sound and features a rootsy guitar solo. All the songs on BOYSTOWN were played in one take, so what you hear is an actual live performance.

MISTER SOCIALITE is a fun, bouncy track about the weekend. All the songs were recorded on a tacked piano, prepared with staples for your listening pleasure. PAF! studio in Rotterdam is a vintage heaven, BOYSTOWN was recorded on tape, using only vintage microphones!

LIVE IT UP II is a souvenir. Pensive but adventurous, Lavinia Meijer’s harp creates a magical sound before the classic melody starts. Lyrically, this song is the precursor to LIVE IT UP.