the debut album by maximilian presenting his unique singer- & songwriter skills to the public. native berliner and sometime fashion model, this 23-year old could well be the finest german export since michael owen’s match ball. like recent “uncut” fave kevin tihista, his métier is beautifully-sculpted, 24-carat melodies, deceptively simple arrangements and a voice so eerily spectral it’s in danger of vaporisation. hecker’s creamy falsetto sails somewhere between tiny tim and nick drake, with all the breathy allure of joe pernice. the trip-folk of “green night” suggests what might have been had nick drake graduated from the same bristol bloodline as massive attack and portishead; “sunburnt days” is impossibly gorgeous, summer-meadow piano, while “over” is a thrilling ride over a waterfall of acoustic guitar. at certain points, he sounds almost beloved-esque. most of the time, it’s just plain otherwordly.