MEROL.

MEROL likes to set an everyday thought to music, rotated just a quarter turn. The lyrics can be dryly humorous, but the rhythm always keeps the songs moving.

MEROL uses the directness of pop to give a distinct voice to desire, doubt, and everyday situations. The lyrics can be witty and blunt, but also allow for discomfort and vulnerability. Synthesizers and rhythmic productions keep the music moving, while a sharp phrasing often lands at precisely the right moment. As a result, it is as much about the attitude of a song as it is about the appeal of the chorus.

Leve de Feeks and Naar de Haaien & Weer Terug offer different album routes through that world. On vinyl-LP, you can listen to the exuberant tracks alongside the more restrained moments. The order gives the lyrics extra coherence: a grand gesture takes on a different color when doubt sounds afterwards. With multiple vinyl variants, the musical content remains the starting point; the product page specifies the chosen version.

For those seeking Dutch-language pop that dares to be candid and rhythmic, MEROL is a distinct voice in the record collection. Eefje de Visser and Froukje offer further avenues through language, production, and personality. View the available LPs at SJELF and listen via their separate Spotify album links.

Leve De Feeks gives that distinct voice plenty of room. Naar De Haaien & Weer Terug shows how pop, personality, and electronics seek each other out further.

The 2010s sketches the years in which Dutch-language pop took on many new forms. Through Nederpop and electro, you hear two sides of MEROL's own hybrid form.

Roxy Dekker uses language with a different twist. Froukje, S10, Eefje de Visser, and Bente demonstrate how different a new Dutch pop voice can sound.