Fräulein – ‘Sink Or Swim’ album review: A powerful and perfected project
THE SKINNY: Fräulein deserve more hype. When they first launched themselves into the music scene in 2021, the seed of incredible potential was already there. With each new track, it grew and grew as the duo proved themselves to be one of the tightest yet most dynamic new acts around. And now, with the release of their mini-album Sink Or Swim, they emerge as a fearsome outfit, balancing plain and simple rock power with bold experimentation and perfected polish.
From start to finish, Sink Or Swim is a considered project where obvious thought has gone into how these tracks would be translated onto tape and how the interludes would help service them. But as that effort is balanced with sheer passion and fun, merging their own unique code of influences and backgrounds but blocking out any noise beyond that, it’s a project that isn’t overthought or overdone but remains obviously impactful.
It’s masterfully crafted from the first note to the production itself, but that really all comes from the core composition of the songs. It feels like Fräulein are top-of-the-class students at the PJ Harvey School of Tension Building. In the interplay between Joni Samuel’s guitar and Karsten van der Tol’s drumming, it’s like they’re having a conversation between their instruments. Sometimes falling into harmony and sometimes fighting, the way they weave in and around one another adds so much shade and texture to the songs without needing a huge, sprawling band of many members. The two of them are powerful enough.
It’s really the idea of shade that makes Sink Or Swim such a standout release. Fräulein are clearly a band that likes to play loud. This is a huge rock release with plenty of ear-drum-splitting moments. But each one is balanced perfectly with quiet and tension and space. Even on the biggest tracks like ‘Wait and See’, or in the stopping and starting of ‘Pruining’, the pauses of breath taken are just as powerful as any crescendo, and the ability to know that and play to it feels like the duo’s superpower. Nowhere is that shown better than in the two versions of ‘Feels Like Flying’ that bookend the album, sitting at the two ends of the shade spectrum they’re playing on.
It’s also exactly what makes them feel so far beyond their band years. The ability to craft songs like that and already be able to play around with light while still making anthemic, catchy tracks feels like a skill that should come years down the line, with plenty of more mature groups still not quite managing to juggle those things at once. But as Fräulein manage it already, it’s a clear sign that their trajectory can only go up, and they’ll soon be racing ahead of the pack.
Joni Samuels deserves to lead it. She undoubtedly has one of the best voices in rock right now. For the ultimate argument for that case, hit play on ‘Feeling Good’ and listen to the way she builds from an intimate, seductive whisper into a powerful wail, putting her in the ranks of Harvey, Dolores O’Riordan or any number of 1990s rock leading lights. Paired with Karsten van der Tol’s dynamic playing that moves from massive thumping choruses into interesting little flips that add to the quality infinitely, they’re a duo that has it all.
For fans of: Gigs so loud your ears ring after.
A concluding comment from PJ Harvey: “A+”
Sink Or Swim track by track:
Release date: June 14th | Producer: Olly Liu, Taylor Pollock, Joni Samuels and Karsten van der Tol | Label: Submarine Cat
‘Feels Like I’m Flying (Night)’: When Fräulein first released the two versions of this track that bookmarked the album, it was an impossible task picking a favourite. That issue still remains today as this gentle, lo-fi version sounds just as stunning as its high-octane twin. [4.5/5]
‘Interlude 1: Norman Circle’: At nine seconds long, there’s nothing to write about, but the way this tiny, blink-and-you-miss-it moment seamlessly moves into the next track elevates Sink Or Swim into a polished and satisfying project.
‘Wait And See’: As we get underway, Fräulein prove right out the gate how powerful their musical punch is. Karsten van der Tol’s drumming is gripping and tense, providing the perfect base for Joni Samuel’s guitar to build and burst. [4/5]
‘Interlude 2: Feeling Good (Wurly)’: Sometimes interludes can get annoying, but each one here feels in service to the songs that surround them, acting like steps to bring you down to something softer or hype you up to something bigger.
‘Pruning’: Van der Tol and Samuel never sound tighter as a musical duo than right here, as the opening verses hold a gripping dynamic of stops and starts. Then, as the chorus comes in and they come together, it’s anthemic. [4/5]
‘The Last Drop’: The energy stays high with another big track. It’s on a track like this that the band’s development from their earlier singles is clear, as even in their loudest moments, there’s space for shade and nuance. [4/5]
‘Feeling Good’: The interludes become worth their weight in gold when sounds drift back in like themes, tying the mini album together with golden thread. In its full-length form, ‘Feeling Good’ is cinematic, seductive and feels somehow incredibly mature, like it should come from a band with far more years of development under their belt. [4.5/5]
‘In The Living Room’: Continuing a powerful run, ‘In The Living Room’ picks up the pace to full grunge glory, holding Van der Tol’s best performance on the album with a drum line that is both huge and super interesting. [4/5]
‘Interlude 3: Piano Reverb’: Offering a moment of reflection for the huge track that’s just been and gone, layered discordant vocals hold you there for a moment before unleashing you into the next hit.
‘Feels Like Flying (Day)’: The dilemma from the first track returns as the band presents the same song again, but utterly different. It’s a fascinating and bold experiment, but as the daytime version delivers all-out rock greatness, both takes are powerful, worthy additions. [4.5/5]
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