Jasper Erkens – Drawing A Line (Universal Music)

English:CD-review
  Van Muylem    28 oktober 2017

Jasper Erkens is a talend and gifted man from Belgium who started pretty young. Together with his accoustic guitar and his voice … studied in London, came back and started living in Amsterdam. He recorded his second album in Wales together with Jim Elliot (Ellie Goudling, Rae Morris, Olly Murs). I think we can say het matured and serves us a better version of himself, mixed with some new influences, making his upcoming tour very interesting!


Drawning A Line sounds a lot like how he sounded on his first album: naked, pure with just his voice and his accoustic guitar. I adore the melancholy in his voice, just as the raw emotions. The A-O-O’s give it that something special. Hear the soul and the fragility in his voice and let yourself go. Nothing Could Stop Us has already been launched earlier on and still haunts our head as it’s catchy as hel land o so sweet, despite the negative story. It’s a poppy track with a powerful feel and a very emotionnal jewel. He sings it with his heart and thus makes you feel the real emotions as i fit was a page out of his private diary.

Hop on The Rhythm is the next single and sounds really as if summer is passing by. Once again it’s a very ctchy and o so melodic song, with a cool accoustic guitar and a sound that makes you jump into the happyness spread by the music and by his warm voice. Start to dance, throw your arms in the air, snap your fingers, try to sing a long: it all fits this song. Yup it’s a pearl and a real feel good song! They Say is a pretty groovy track with a funky feel. Once again it’s pretty much impossible not to move and get into the song with a good feeling. Songcrafting has been mastered. Noctural sounds pretty sexy, fragile and hot and that’s all because he sings in high tones, as if he’s the former artist known as Prince. With this song he also proves that he can do a lot of things with his voice. The guitar, the snapping fingers and the piano give it the right tone. Towards the end we even hear some breakbeats. Repeat Routine goes into the funky way, whilst talking about our daily routine, thinking and dreaming about the start of the weekend, yeah: we all know that one! Despite the lyrics we get a catchy, poppy and happy sound. To me it sounds as if Jasper is bringing in the sun. It’s a masterpiece! Money starts as a blues song, with clearly some American influences, the chorus is a very sticky one and o so loud! I can imagine i twill be a great track to perform on stage! The guitar plays a very important role. I simply adore this song, but hey didn’t I wrote down the same thing about the previous tracks? Lolz! One More Stripe goes back into the funky modus, flanked by a big smile and a pretty melody. Feel free to move and dance on it! It’s one of those songs you absolute want to share with your friends to make them all feel happy and relaxed. From Now On sounds like the perfect mix between Jeff Buckley and Jasper Stevelinck (just listen to his voice who goes pretty high and sounds very emotionnal). It’s a very intimate and passionated song. To me it’s the best track on the album! IOU sounds like the logic follow up song for the previous one. Next to the accousic guitar we also get some electronics. He builds up the song, stone by stone until you get the feeling it’s ready to explode and takes you to a higher level with a big smile (despite a slice of melancholy). Once again the sun is shining and you feel much happier. Time Has Been So Kind reminds me a bit of Prince: funky but also a bit strange (breaks versus beats). Once again he proves us that he can do more than just use his voice and play with his guitar. With this one he reaches out and tells us he has so much more hidden in his sleeve!

On My Mind is an up-tempo electro track, pretty sexy and catchy with the perfect feel for the dancefloor whilst trying to get that sexy girl have a look at your moves. It’s a pretty hot track.

He ends his album with Start Life: a nice ballad with just a piano and his vocals (fragile and melancholic). It’s a pearl that ends so suddenly that the silence almost hurts you! I clearly want more and can only shout out how great his new album sounds with new twists but without selling his sould to the devil!

I really hope lot’s of people buy this CD and go see him perform all these jewels on stage! Thank you Jasper erkens for the great time!