Yearning is a powerful motif in art. Hermann Hesse once wrote that yearning is to conjure the sweet, drifting nonsense of life through the mind and transform it into meaning. Brothers Jan and Sis Matthé, the duo Stacks, say they want to give meaning to a world on fire. That sounds very familiar.
Their new album, the second for Knekelhuis, is aptly titled »Want«. The two Belgians name what is missing and conjure up what is to come. Their musical tools of choice are ethereal synthesiser surfaces, meandering bass lines and sometimes cheesy melodies. And it works. The single »On The Heels« is a great example of this. It’s got a Future Islands-inspired up-tempo feel, but it also harks back to the past while looking forward to the future: »I could never wait to make it move away/with nothing in return«.
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And in a way, the 10 records that Jan and Sis Mathé from Stacks have picked from our shop to celebrate right now also have a bit of the past and the future in them. If you’re just into the latest Belgian tunes, you’ll find plenty here to tickle your fancy.
Top 10
