Fantastic in the most imaginative sense, Tigermilch have been opening up new pages in the book of German-language soul music since 2020 with singles such as “Wellen” and “Das bin ich” in one of the country’s notoriously under-represented musical niches. Unimpressed, the Cologne quartet shows how complementarily this language – which has been unjustly criticised as “wooden” – can work together with pop, funk, and soul... provided you know how to make it work. And since they have remained aware from the very beginning of the laid-back vibes, the likeable café philosophy in song lyric form, and their informal charm, Tigermilch also straightforwardly called their excellently produced studio debut “Gelaber” (2022) (German for “babble”), thereby striking a long-dormant nerve. For years, clever wordplay had been reserved for rappers and singer–songwriters in the local music scene, while bands tended to do something with indie and media. But now, Germans are beginning to get groovy with everyday nihilism, releasing stiffness with Thai massages, and spending half an hour on the inversion bench. Afterwards, it’s back to the coffeehouse to get a new perspective on the status quo and tomorrow.