Well – Georg Bendemann (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Taken from the forthcoming album The Judgement, “Well” is a short segment of the story of Jude, a man who kills a person in self-defense, goes on the run, and ultimately finds redemption. Here, we find him staring into the watery depths of a forest well and contemplating his reflection and, in turn, his inner self.

With just a simple acoustic guitar line to drive things along, the lyrics are the focal point here. The voice echoes Johnny Cash‘s graveled tones, and the words themselves take something from the Nick Cave playbook. Inspirations are taken from Kafka, as is the album title and artist’s name, and this short piece comes across as more a sonic narrative than a song in the traditional sense. But given the author who inspired it, it makes sense that things take on a more avant-garde form.

Like a blurb on the back of a book or a film trailer to tease an audience, “Well” gives us just enough information to make us want to know more, to understand how the story starts and ultimately ends for this character found musing in a forest. In short, it makes us want to buy the album. What more could you ask of a single?

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