Ever since their highly praised and critically acclaimed debut album “Another Day”, MAUR DUE & LICHTER have proven that they truly understand the art of creating divine pop songs. The question that always arises after such a strong debut, is whether the band will be able to prevail and top the first album. In the case of MAUR DUE & LICHTER and their successor album “This Night Was Meant To Stay” (Las Vegas Records) that they released this Summer, this question can definitely be answered with a clear yes. The new album reveals itself as a stunning piece of pop music with a considerable tendency towards electronic music.
Instead of getting too comfortable and falling back on the success formula of the first record, MAUR DUE & LICHTER have decided to explore new paths on their second album. While highlighting acoustic indie pop with their debut album, the new songs of Mauricio Duda and Daniel Lichter have now significantly shifted to lounge-like club music and electro-pop. Although this directional decision has also been tried and trailed by other bands, the Viennese duo is an exception in its transition and how it manages to evolve the music in this new sonic structure.
Listening to the new tracks, you can hear how the endless hours of tinkering has paid off. The sounds, the samples, the melodies, the instrumental and vocal passages have been each skillfully set and individually placed to create a beautiful mood and atmosphere. It is especially nice to know that Mauricio Duda and Daniel Lichter are in no way squinting at radio suitability, but rather concentrate on realising their own pop aesthetics somewhere between danceability (“Faces”, “Never Found A Way”) and spine-tingling moments (“Our Brittle Youth”, “Spiral Tribe”), and find their expression in vast and constant suspense paired with hauntingly beautiful restraint. The acoustic singer-singer style of earlier days is most likely approached at the end of the album with the song “Maybes”. Another highlight is also the house-inspired and dreamy track “Bright Lights Big City” (with singer Yves Voilà), which certainly has the potential of becoming a real club hit.
Keeping in mind that one should be careful with throwing out superlatives, one thing can be safely said about this album: MAUR DUE & LICHTER have once again scored with this new album “This Night Was Meant To Stay”, which will secure them a spot at the forefront of the local pop scene. Next chance to make your own impression of this exquisite Viennese duo is a live showcase at the upcoming Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg.
Check artist website for international concerts.
Link: www.maurduelichter.com/
Author: Michael Ternai
(translated from German)
Photo: Maur Due & Lichter © Hannes Friesenegger