Laut, schraeg, etwas schrill?
Literally translated this would be loud, tilted, some-what wailed / sharp?
But this is less about a literal translation and more about setting the stage. Laut, schraeg and schrill was used as an expression for the performance era of the 20s and early 30s in Berlin, Vienna, Paris and especially for Marlene Dietrich. Think Fosse’s version of Cabaret: Willkommen
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQn8vPOCnp4Schraeg can mean many things in German (besides the literal translation), it can mean ‘slightly off’, it can have the connotation of gender-bending and is therefore in Adam’s case quite appropriate.
Schrill, while an acoustic term in its origin (A bird’s trill may be called ‘schrill’ or the blow of a whistle or a sharp wail), but it has expanded its meaning into the visual or cultural world in general and can then mean colorful, campy, over the top, in your face.
So, with that background, forget Google or any other nonsense translation and just take this visual imagery as a description of how Adam comes across and certainly one that he would be happy to stand by, even though it probably stood for the GNT phase more so than the present one, but still, the connotation is a positive and an attention getting one for any reader of this article.
So, here now the translation:
Laut, schraeg, etwas schrill? Yes, this describes the US-singer pretty well. If you add to that an incredible voice and glamorous outfits, then you have – Adam Lambert. We have listened our way through his second studio recording just for you.
Admittedly, it is not brand new anymore, but ‘Trespassing’ is definitely worth a listen. The album that was released on May 18, 2012 only went to # 28 in our charts, but in the US it went through the roof and entered the Billboard 200 charts in place 1. A success that is very much deserved.
The title track is at the same time the opener, and a big one at that. You immediately feel the need to get up and dance. In case that first songs comes across as a bit more rock leaning, the second song switches definitely more into the dance-pop direction. And with that you have already heard the essential elements of the album – pop, a dusting of rock and a lot of dance and electro. Knowing this, the later track called ‘Broken English’ seems like a bit of an outsider. Because this track surprises with dubstep elements and seems on the whole rather atypical for an Adam Lambert song.
‘Kickin In’ is then again a potential club hit, no wonder, given that it was co-written and produced by Pharrel Williams, just like the song Trespassing was. Furthermore you can find on the CD of course the former single BTIKM. Then there are a few ballads on this album. ‘Underneath’ and especially the for Lambert very personal song ‘Outlaws of Love’, which addresses the lingering lack of acceptance of the LGBT community, are strong songs and demonstrate the enormous (vocal) power of this singer. My personal favorites are the slightly rock-leaning ‘Chokehold’ and the first of the three bonus tracks on the deluxe album, ‘Runnin’.
Trespassing is pop of the finest kind. Catchy sounds, good lyrics, big emotions, good fun and good vocals. If mainstream pop can sound like this, then we want more of it, please.
ETA: Better link
