Search - Maximilian Hecker :: Infinite Love Songs

This winter's tunes....

Alexa S. | Frankfurt, Germany | 11/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Ouch" - it hurts me to give this album but 4 stars.Maximilian Hecker, a newcomer artist from Berlin, writes songs bound to be the sweetest, soothing and most heartfelt I've heard in a long time.
Perfectly flowing into eachother, each song creates an atmosphere of deep melancholy and lonelines - yet never quite without a hint of hope. Titles such as "the days are long and filled with pain" seem to drip with dangerous pretense at first, but once you've heard the music accompanying the title, you realize - this man is actually sincere about it. Soft vocals along with delicate, often poetic lyrics (especially in "polyester") will have you long for your bed, a cup of tea and that significant other at your side. So what's there to criticize?
As already mentioned, each and every song is smooth and calm - which does make you wish that the single outburst of aggression in "cold wind blowing" had happened in a few other songs.
Also, while I do love Maximilian's voice, it would have been interesting to hear him sing in a slightly more versatile tone.You've got to prove some patience when listening to this album, because it'll take a few spins before you can differenciate between the songs and really appreciate them.
And - I really do encourage you to give it a try.This is an astounding debut which shines despite its few faults, and renders you hungry for "more".
Even if you end up disliking the record as a whole, it's definitely worth its purchase for the titles "cold wind blowing", "polyester", "infinite lovesong", "white" and "the days are long and filled with pain". Truly gorgeous popmusic."

It's all about longing

Katharina Moser | Austria | 11/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Maximilian Hecker is a 23 yearold german writing pop songs sounding completely "non german".
Beautyful melodies meet a voice reminding of Jón Thor Birgisson of Sigur ros.
By now I've often read Hecker reminds in his way a bit of Radiohead,I don't know if this is really true in terms of their music,but surely in the way he and thom yorke do their songs--when thom yorke is singing,he is not a bit desparate ,he is absolutely desparate,
the same with Hecker-you're believing him every word he's singing and that there 's no way out of his misery called longing for something he won't get(you know this "hell or deliverance" thing)
thank god he's not completely free of irony concerning himself,but it's just the amount of irony to make you know that he's capable of self-reflection what does not stop his yearning."