Sterre Weldring: “Lost Lights” (2021) CD Review

Sterre Weldring is a singer and songwriter based in Amsterdam. She has just put out her debut disc, an EP titled Lost Lights, which features all original material, some of which had been released earlier as singles. Her music mixes folk with a dreamy sort of pop vibe, and features some excellent lyrics. These are songs of relationships, of pain, and of feeling lost. Her delivery is heartfelt, making each song feel personal and poignant. Joining her on these tracks are Daan Van Zelm on electric guitar, Niels De Jonge on drums, Hugo Zuiker on bass, Machiel De Vries on keyboards, and Camille Beurret on cello.

The opening track, “Not With Me,” gives the disc its title in its first line, “Lost lights in the dark, I try to catch them.” Sterre Weldring gives us a beautiful, passionate and vulnerable vocal performance. Check out these lines: “Well, at some point, I started to not know the answer/My heart shifted from hopeful to bitter as hell/So give me one good reason why I should stay/One good reason not to go away.” Though her even asking for a reason leads me to believe there is still some hope within her heart. And the line “You were never with me, not really” is itself heartrending. This is one of the songs released as singles, and Sterre Weldring put out a video for it. That is followed by “Remedy,” which was also released as a single and is the song that initially got me excited about this release and this artist. Her voice is the focus of this track from the start, the first few words delivered a cappella. And, as with the first track, this song uses the word “lost” in its lyrics: “Then maybe all it was/Was just a remedy/For all the times that I/Got lost in irony.” But the lines that especially stand for me are these: “Where did it go wrong this time/I thought we were fine/I reached out, no reply/And if only I believed/That you were not meant for me/I’d save me the misery.” There is heartache in her voice, and yet also hope, though as with the first track it might be a misplaced hope: “But I thought maybe this time/Leave the past behind.” And toward the end the music swells to reach the emotional heights where her voice already dwells, a moving moment. The track then ends gently.

The beauty of “I’m Gone” is apparent from its opening moments. As it begins, it has a sort of melancholy folk vibe. “At least I acted on what I believed in/Now I will be healing.” Her vocal performance is intimate and passionate. It is a striking performance, leading this to be one of my personal favorites. “My cards were all on the table,” she sings here, and her music feels like that, particularly this song. She opens herself up to us. She then grabs us with the opening lines to “In A Strange Way”: “You say I should get out of my head/But I wonder how you got in instead/‘Cause every time someone gets close/It fills me with fear instead of hope.” Wow, those are excellent lyrics. She can craft a lyric that gets right to the heart of the matter, that feels both personal and universal. And I love the work on cello. “So if you ever need somebody, darling/I promise I will always try to get you through/So in a strange way I can be there for you.”

The word “lost” also plays an important part “Turn Around,” with lines like “These cold dark days are where I got stuck/Trying to find something I lost” and “I turn around and see what I lost.” This is a gorgeous and moving song, in large part because of Sterre Weldring’s vocal performance, but also because of the presence of cello. “These scars will fade away/But I hope you know/And always know/That I will love you more.” The EP then concludes with a second version of “In A Strange Way,” this one driven by the vocals and acoustic guitar. Both versions are excellent. This EP is a stunning debut. I am looking forward to hearing whatever this talented singer and songwriter does next.

CD Track List

1. Not With Me
2. Remedy
3. I’m Gone
4. In A Strange Way
5. Turn Around
6. In A Strange Way (Acoustic)

Lost Lights was released on November 5, 2021.