Sweet William – Laughter Filled With Pain (CD Album – Datakill Records)
Genre/Influences: Acoustic, ballad, chanson, gothic.
Background/Info: The German formation Sweet William has been driven since 1986 by Oliver Heuer. The band has released multiple productions, celebrated their 30th anniversary by some special releases and remained active. “Laughter Filled With Pain” is their newest opus featuring eight new songs. The album is also available as vinyl and a special edition featuring both, CD and vinyl.
Content: The main characteristic of this work is the acoustic format. It’s neither a new thing nor challenge for Sweet William, but the least I can say is that it sounds different and a bit ‘out of the box’-like. It creates a very authentic sound, the songs mainly written by guitar but still featuring violin and strings. The songs have something emotional, which is also reinforced by the vocals of Oliver Heuer. The last cut is featuring guitar, but you here also will hear noticeable synth parts.
+ + + : The work has something authentic and minimal. The songs are beautiful and there’s a deeply melancholic touch emerging at the surface. This work sounds a bit like a challenge, Sweet William leaving their comfort zone, but the result is surprising. It’s an artistic exposure featuring a few beautiful compositions.
– – – : This kind of releases always remains a bit like a challenge, but it might also catch the attention of potential new fans. I’m not a huge fan of the last song, which is less in harmony with the rest of the tracklist.
Conclusion: Sweet William decided to share a very intimate moment with their fans; the work revealing certain fragility emerging from the emotional side of the album.
Best songs: “New Wings”, “Memories”, “Laughter Filled With Pain”.
Rate: (7).
Artist & Label: www.sweetwilliam.de / www.facebook.com/sweet.william.dianthus.barbatus
About Sweet William
Sweet William was a German outfit from Kerpen led since 1986 by singer and guitarist Oliver Heuer, with a sound spanning goth rock, new wave, psychedelic and experimental material. The band marked its 30th anniversary in 2016 with a run of archival releases, including “The Early Days 1986-1988” on Datakill Records in 2018. “Laughter Filled With Pain” proved to be Sweet William’s final studio album: Oliver Heuer died in December 2019, weeks after its release, and the band did not continue afterward.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
