White Velvet suggests, something beautiful and cold ; something dazzling an… Read Full Bio ↴White Velvet suggests, something beautiful and cold ; something dazzling and underground ; innocence and experience - a cross between Snow White and Nico. White Velvet is also the third album from a very special artist who has successfully thrived in the cultural pop otherworld of Europe, without quite breaking through in the UK or America. There have been hints and moments, such as Time Out enthusing about An Pierle and co-songwriter and producer Koen Gisen's twisted, fragile pop in a strange, black pearl or Q Magazine concluding, huge in Ghent - the world may follow suit. But few fans or writers have made that short trip on the Eurostar to discover Pierle & Gisen performing in front of an orchestra or An sitting on a transparent ball, always moving as she hits the notes on her piano. If they arrived today, they'd find the couple with a band called White Velvet, as their sound continues to grow and mutate, eating up all previous experiments to create something new. The new album started coming together in 2005 as the pair filled their home with recording equipment, string quartets and a whole range of instruments, big and small. Having a piano in the kitchen isnt good for your social life, deadpans Gisen. They also listened to a lot of music, in particular piles of 70s records, George Harrison, Talk Talk, early Roxy Music, Bauhaus, Johnny Cash, Air, Radiohead, French muzak - the list is endless and it all seeped in, from the spaciousness of Air through to the artful twists of Roxy and emotional honesty of Mark Hollis. Theres also a 60s feel in the Mellotron-laced Jupiter, while one of the highlights Tenderness is elegantly old fashioned, a beautifully arranged song that An Pierle confesses she loses herself in completely. The pairs eclectic tastes also allow for simplicity - the wonderful Many Roads - and intensity, as demonstrated by the out of control lurch and tumble of Not The End. Pop hooks are cast throughout, from Jupiters chorus to the playful Mexico but just as important are the subtle things happening in the margins of the songs, creating an album that reveals new ideas and textures with every listen. As a teenager, Belgium-born An Pierle first broke through in her home country back in the mid 1990s when she performed in a national song contest, stealing the show with her own compositions and an inspired cover of Tubeway Armys Are Friends Electric? Theres a fantastic recording of the night where you can hear the crowd becoming increasingly excited with every note as the song builds from a few quiet piano strikes into a Helter Skelter-like frenzy. Although piano based, her 1999 debut album Mud Stories is closer in spirit to the likes of Devendra Banhart or Coco Rosie than Kate Bush or Tori Amos. Arguably one of the most experimental song-based piano albums of all time, its essentially a series of live takes of her own material and there are almost no overdubs. Although Koen Gisen played a vital role on Mud Stories in getting the best out of Pierles performances and helping her to select the final tapes, he was even more involved as a co-songwriter & producer on the follow-up, 2002s Helium Sunset. Guitar driven indie-pop songs such as Sing Song Sally lie alongside the brooding Kiss Me and stark As Sudden Tears Fall. The ghosts of Eno and Nick Cave can be glimpsed in Helium Sunset but it remains a unique assemblage that is both alluring and oddly sinister. The broadening canvas of Pierles second album - guitars, synthesizers and even a breathless accordion - also offered new possibilities live as the solo pianist integrated herself into band-driven dynamics and at times a full orchestra. After three years, this presented a new challenge - how to bring all these elements together into a cohesive whole on the next recordings. The result is White Velvet, a combination of everything Pierle and Gisen have experienced and absorbed so far, but blended into a distinctive style. It has both the energy of Mud Stories and the dark, twisted sophistication of Helium Sunset, while pushing forward with more rhythm and harmonies - in short, the sound of a new band. The textures have greater depth partly thanks to Jon Kelly's mix (previous credits include Kate Bush and Paul McCartney) and lyrically too, its the best of Pierle's career so far, full of inventive imagery and also humour: If I save your neck, its to break your back (I Love You). An Pierle laughs as she describes Its Got To Be Me as her Gwen Stefani song . . . Its very ironical. Its that thing, why not me? Why isnt it my time now? Sugary and bizarre, the likes of Its Got To Be Me and Mexico reveal Pierle and Gisen's love of pop, yet the albums potency also lives inside the slow motion atmospherics of Cold Winter and Tenderness or the guttural, sonorous attack of Not The End. As Pierle says, a friend told me, its Radiohead for girls. I dont exactly agree but I think I know what she means.

tenderness
An Pierlé & White Velvet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You can't retreat
When life goes wrong
You can't imagine what to do when this is done
Did you expect
To see
that you're still nowhere near finding
the best of me

Ooh you've been unable
To dream…
Ooh you've been unable
To see…

If there's no tenderness…

You don't give up
When life gets tough
You can't imagine what you'll do when the sea gets rough
'Cause if the Big Black Wolf is surely gonna come
You can't just mess things up, then pray
You've done nothing wrong

Ooh you've been unable
To dream
Ooh you've been unable
To feel

If there's no tenderness

Ooh you've been unable
To dream
Ooh you've been unable
To see

If there's no tenderness…

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of An Pierlé and White Velvet's song Tenderness conveys a powerful message of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. The first verse emphasizes that it's not possible to simply run away or hide when things go wrong in life. There will be moments of uncertainty and doubt on how to move forward, but there's no choice but to keep going. The lyrics also touch upon the idea that the struggle to find the best version of oneself isn't an easy journey, but a continuous one. The chorus highlights the importance of tenderness, perhaps suggesting that this quality is crucial to the process of self-discovery and navigating life's challenges.

The second verse speaks of not surrendering to the difficulties of life. Even in the face of hurdles, one must not allow themselves to become disheartened. The idea of the Big Black Wolf possibly coming suggests a sense of impending danger or looming worry, and that's when one can't afford to make careless mistakes. It's important to stay grounded and not run away from the situation. The lyrics express that doing nothing wrong isn't enough, but to thrive and be one's best.

Overall, the song's lyrics are encouraging and uplifting, highlighting that regardless of the struggles faced, one must strive to be resilient and tenacious in their pursuit of their best selves.

Line by Line Meaning

You can't retreat
You cannot give up and withdraw from the situation at hand.

When life goes wrong
When things are not going according to plan.

You can't imagine what to do when this is done
You cannot predict the outcome and how you will respond once the situation is resolved.

Did you expect
Were you anticipating.

To see
That there is still a long way to go before you discover the best part of me.

that you're still nowhere near finding
That you have not yet discovered the true depth of who I am.

the best of me
The most impressive and admirable aspects of my personality.

Ooh you've been unable
You were not able.

To dream…
To imagine and explore new possibilities.

Ooh you've been unable
You were not able.

To see…
To truly understand and perceive the world around you.

If there's no tenderness…
If there is no kindness, compassion, or gentleness towards others.

You don't give up
You continue to persevere and push forward despite challenges and obstacles.

When life gets tough
When faced with difficulties and hardships in life.

You can't imagine what you'll do when the sea gets rough
You cannot predict your behavior when things get even more challenging and unpredictable.

'Cause if the Big Black Wolf is surely gonna come
Because if a major challenge or obstacle is guaranteed to happen.

You can't just mess things up, then pray
You cannot make mistakes and then hope things will work out without taking any responsibility for your actions.

You've done nothing wrong
You have not made any mistakes or done anything to deserve the challenges you are facing.

If there's no tenderness
If there is no empathy, understanding, or love towards one another.

Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS