Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Seßler/Zeeb – If No One (2024)

Having known each other from their school days, singer-songwriter Kurt Seßler and multi-instrumentalist Werner Zeeb decided to combine their natural musical talent and create something fantastic – enter Seßler/Zeeb. While their live performance days might be behind them as they focus on studio recordings, the German duo continue to turn heads with the energetic oomph of a live session. In 2021, Kurt Seßler chose to “make an album with his songs and needed someone who could implement written music into well-produced music”; the next year Seßler/Zeeb released the well-received single ‘Bahnreise’. Skip ahead to the present day and the pair saunter into 2024 with the single ‘If No One’.

Following the well-received single ‘N.N.’, ‘If No One’ is a shift from soulful indie-pop to heavier dabs of pop in classic rock. Leaning toward the Beatles and Genesis, a flutter of 70s and 80s pop breathes life into nostalgic whispers; however, a drag to modern-day production creates something completely fresh and familiar. Transcending decades and generations, ‘If No One’ proves the one thing that really matters is the power of good music. Moreover, Seßler tends to adopt his native German in his songs and ‘If No One’ is the first English single in the duo’s discography – guess this proves that good music transcends language and culture as well.

Self-recorded and produced at Werner Zeeb’s “small recording studio”, ‘If No One’ has a sense of DIY rawness marked within the sophisticated arrangement. While a union of guitars, drums, bass, viola and piano exist in the melody, ‘If No One’ tip-toes through slight haunts of disconnect as each instrument slices through with independent prominence. Interestingly, the mild instrumental individuality offers a comfortable obscurity and ultimately weaves in a harmonic symphony.

Unique and eclectic, the melody of ‘If No One’ can be enjoyed in its own right; however, it is the vocals and lyricism that add profoundness to the song. Off-kilter with an almost childlike quality, Seßler sings with youthful whimsy and mature boldness. The band explains that this song “is an appeal for humanity and compassion in times that seem harsher…and it should have something colossal about it”. The use of a gospel choir inserts a bombastic forcefulness, but the juxtaposition of profound lyrics and the warm tune makes ‘If No One’ colossal.


Find out more about this artist on their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator


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