I would appreciate some of DU's good vibes or

[highplainsdem]

110. 5-star review for the new Vreemde Kostgangers album! This has to

make George's day!

https://www.ad.nl/show/5-sterren-het-slotalbum-van-vrienten-kooymans-en-de-groot-komt-hard-binnen~a879a49a/
Archive page at https://archive.ph/t7ngi

Google Translate from Dutch:

5 stars: the final album by Vrienten, Kooymans
REVIEW The third and final album of Strange Kostgangers is not only memorable because of the circumstances. Henny Vrienten, George Kooymans and Boudewijn de Groot could not have done better.

Alexander van Eenennaam 18-03-23, 12:49


Strange Boarders - Mist Album (pop) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We're too old to die young/but too young to die. Although there is plenty of competition on Mist, this is the most beautiful line of the closing album of Strange Boarders. Boudewijn de Groot sings it, on a record that is full of mostly unintentional references to the sad circumstances under which the trio came to a standstill.

-snip-

Of course, certain texts now come in harder than if nothing had been wrong with the trio, which has been incomplete since the death of Henny Vrienten last year and was also affected by the horrible muscle disease of George Kooymans. For example, the listener hears Vriten sing that he still has so much to do and is short of time. And the text by Thé Lau from Love knows no time also gets an extra charge from Kooymans: if I knew where everything was going / I wouldn't do it any other way. And what must you feel when Kooymans sings about his love for his guitars on the uptempo rocker Fender Strat, even though he can no longer play them?

Light-footedness
The album is full of musings, nostalgia and reflections, but also has a nice light-footedness, which is most clearly reflected in two songs by Vrienten: Time shortage and closing Tell me. Nowhere does it get gloomy or the scales tip to too heavy. Opening track Mist is a finely arranged song with Vrienten in the leading role. Pleasant to listen to and as with all songs on the album, the musical accompaniment is pleasant and functional.

For example, the last album of Strange Kostgangers, started in 2016, has no weak spots and it is difficult to name highlights given the high quality range. Memorable is without a doubt Kooymans' fragile voice on The more I come closer, but also I play guitar should not be left unsaid. It is a ballad sung by De Groot, which is still subdued and comes to fruition when Kooymans joins in with the last guitar solo he ever played. Beautiful.

Two videos from the new album:

This is "I Play Guitar" - and a Music Appreciation thread about it is at https://www.democraticunderground.com/103495868 .

And this is "Love Knows No Time" for which George composed the music for lyrics by Dutch musician and writer Thé Lau - Matheus Lau ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9_Lau ) - who died in 2015.