Honest folk, raw emotions, unvarnished stories
Stefan Saffer returns with a new album and an intimate setting
After two raucous punk and indie guitar rock albums with his band SSB, Leipzig singer/songwriter Stefan Saffer returns with his ninth album – and this time, he takes a completely different musical direction. "Leipzig-West" is an intimate, acoustic masterpiece deeply rooted in the folk tradition while confidently exploring the boundaries between blues, country, and modern indie folk.
The focus is on an urban, contemporary folk style that references Saffer's punk and rock roots while remaining open to new musical experiments. The ten new Saffer originals, some of which have been completely re-arranged and recorded, are less socially critical and politicized than on the last album, "German Babylon." Instead, personal themes take center stage: arriving and leaving, being on the move, and finding one's place in the world. The album title, "Leipzig-West," is more than just a geographical reference—it's the most frequently used motorway entrance and exit on Saffer's countless journeys to gigs and explorations across the country.
Raw, spartan, and unfussy: Saffer puts his voice, guitar, and song front and center. The production is deliberately not polished, but bears traces of real life, passion, and empathy. Each song is given its own unique color by the addition of individual instruments such as mandolin, violin, bass, or beautiful harmony vocals. He is supported by select musical guests such as former Strangemen Rudi Freese from Berlin and his longtime duet partner Laura Bean from Los Angeles.
Comparisons are inevitable—for example, to Ryan Adams' "Heartbreaker," Springsteen's "Nebraska," or the acoustic works of Richard Thompson and Buddy Miller. But "Leipzig-West" is a standalone statement that is one thing above all else: honest, authentic, and full of heart and soul.
In keeping with the album title, this music unfolds best at dusk or at night, while traveling along the winding access roads of the A9 and A14 motorways around Leipzig and Halle. This creates that special atmosphere that only Saffer can conjure with his voice and his songs. "Leipzig-West" is an album for the soul—and for all those who long for real, unvarnished stories.
A
01 White Line Fever
02 Monday 4 PM
03 Another Passerby
04 Sweet Angel Melina
05 Rambling Highway 9 Blues
B
06 Everyday
07 The Rhythm of the River
08 Watching The River Flow
09 Gonna Be Some Trouble Tonite
10 Most Hated Men In Town
