© Lin Bartraij
COSMIC CROONER ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘EUROPEAN VACATION’
& RELEASES NEW SINGLE “REBECCULA”
LISTEN HERE / WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
***ON TOUR WITH MATTIEL NEXT WEEK***
“Cosmic Crooner draws elegantly from a colourful yet sepia-tinged musical history
whilst offering his unique perspective on the world” (God Is In The TV)
“The elusive European artist evokes a bygone sophistication while sidestepping nostalgia,
creating something that feels timeless yet entirely present” (Complete Music Update)
Cosmic Crooner has announced details of his new album ‘European Vacation,’ set for release on May 2nd on LP, CD & digital formats – pre-order here – as well as releasing the latest track from the album, “Rebeccula”.
Cosmic Crooner will also be supporting Mattiel on her UK tour next week – see below for dates.
The follow-up to Cosmic Crooner’s acclaimed 2023 debut ‘The Perks Of Being A Hypocrite,’ ‘European Vacation’ is a holiday for the senses, music that transports you to somewhere more fabulous. Inspired by David Axelrod, Serge Gainsbourg, Marvin Gaye, and the golden age of bossa nova, the enigmatic European artist creates a vivid, luxurious sonic landscape, his evocative lyrics delivered with a raconteur’s wit. “I wanted to make a timeless album,” says Cosmic Crooner of his creation. “I love Brazilian music, progressive soul from the ‘70s and jazz. I’ve tried to incorporate my inspirations into this world.”
The base of the album was finished in just four days and recorded live, with no click track. As with his debut album, ‘European Vacation’ was produced by rising talent Pieter Vonk, with strings arranged by Trey Pollard (Foxygen, Faye Webster) and Jesse Kotansky (Adam Green, Willie J Healey.).
“I love the sound of a big orchestra, and Trey was amazing at bringing my dream arrangements to life,” enthuses Cosmic Crooner. “The songs Jesse worked on have less ‘big’ arrangements, but they’re perfect for those songs and I love how Jesse played it all himself.”
The vocals on ‘European Vacation’ are as rich and expansive as you’d expect from someone called Cosmic Crooner. “I knew that if I called myself Cosmic Crooner I’d have to up my singing game,” he acknowledges. “I don’t take the term ‘crooner’ too seriously, but the singers I like are usually referred to as crooners: Scott Walker, Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison.”
Out today, new single “Rebeccula” blends romantic strings and velvety vocals to evoke the timeless elegance of bossa nova, all undercut by a tale of a romance going awry. It was inspired by a friend dissing a woman named Rebecca, referring to her as Rebeccula. The crooner admits: “As soon as he said ‘Rebeccula’, I knew it was a great name for a song. I like funny song titles, but when I told my friend I’d used his insult as a title, he didn’t even remember mentioning Rebeccula to me. I sometimes wished I was Brazilian when I was recording these songs. Jorge Ben Jor and Jorge Gilberto are big inspirations on Rebeccula.”
The video for “Rebeccula” was shot on 16mm film and directed by the Crooner himself. The video was shot in the ‘Crooners Bay’, the mythical home for crooners that also provided the setting for the video for “Swimming Pool”.
Based in Amsterdam, Cosmic Crooner has toured with Temples, Timber Timbre, Tempesst and most recently Mattiel, building a cult following right across Europe.
Cosmic Crooner on tour with Mattiel:
Feb 23 Brighton Chalk
Feb 24 Birmingham Hare & Hounds
Feb 25 Newcastle The Cluny
Feb 26 Glasgow Stereo
Cosmic Crooner: ‘European Vacation’ Album Tracklisting:
03 The Balcony
04 Dov’è Giovanni
05 Mosquito In The Photo Booth
06 The Girl Who Sold A Lie
07 Rebeccula
08 J Bonanza
09 Lennon DJ
10 Private Club
11 In Love
Pre-order ‘European Vacation’ here
