Since I first heard Johanna Zeul, I have been in love with her music. Some call her music "alternative folk". I don't really get that. Sure, she often plays an acoustic guitar, and her style is often stripped down to a very elemental form. But that isn't necessarily folk in my book. On her 2008 album, "Album Nr. 1", Zeul is definitely in the realm of alternative rock, with hints of Kristin Hersh and even Bjork.
Unfortunately, as I alluded to before, Zeul's entry for Bundesvision 2012, Sandmann, is nowhere near the best showcase of her songwriting or performing talent. It is stripped down alternative rock like her other music, but Sandmann is stripped of the quirky hooks that make many of her other songs so appealing. In short, this is a very interesting and exciting artist performing a fairly run of the mill song.
My prediction: I wish I had something better to say here, but I'll be shocked if Johanna Zeul's Sandmann does any better than the bottom third of the competition. I just don't think there's enough depth or edge here to really excite the audience.
