La Mort – Death in French. For someone whose voice is as uplifting as the renowned artist Anneke van Giersbergen, this could have been quite a troubling thought. This is part of a trilogy of material, deeply personal, that the Dutch singer has produced, tracing the intimate journey through love, loss and grief. It is inspired by the passing of both parents within a two-month period.
Anneke van Giersbergen – La Mort
Release Date: 27 March 2026
Words: Paul Hutchings
“Not every song on La Mort is literally about death,” Anneke van Giersbergen says. “Writing doesn’t follow rules like that, and I’m glad it doesn’t. Sail Towards The Sun, however, is about saying goodbye to my father. He once built his own seaworthy sailboat, and we spent many family holidays on the water. That memory lives very close to my heart.”
Fans of Anneke van Giersbergen’s time in The Gathering will have been thrilled in 2025 when the original line-up reunited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mandylion. The Gathering are now lined up for a slew of shows across 2026, something that may have prompted the departure of Silje Wergeland.Â
It was her appearances with Devin Townsend and Daniel Kavanagh that brought Van Giersbergen to my attention many years ago, with her performance on the former’s Epicloud a particular highlight.
I will admit I am not massively familiar with her solo music although I dip in and out from time to time. With her beautiful voice, it would be remiss not to at least take time to listen on occasion.
As she did on La Vie, Anneke van Giersbergen has brought in her live band to help on La Mort. The result is a swirling mix of emotions that provides four tracks with a slight ’90s lilt, rich in sound and high on production values.
It is a big cast, and the complex tracks highlight the quality on offer. Alongside Van Giersbergen, the EP features Allie Summers – backing vocals, Camilla van der Kooij – violin, viola, Edward Capel – reed instruments, Gijs Coolen – guitars, Matthias van Beek – guitars, backing vocals, Rob Snijders – drums, Roel Blommers – bass and Thijs Schrijnemakers – keyboards.
Four songs continue the story, the first one being Fade In, Fade Out. Opening with a single piano before the band kick in, there is a deeply poignant feel to the track. It is not rushed, at times deeply simple, but always uplifting despite the subject matter.
This is a complex piece, with swirling synths and reed instruments that whip around in a semi-chaotic pattern, building to a crescendo which sees the music strip back to acoustic guitar and Van Giersbergen’s elfin vocals before the music picks up for a stirring conclusion.
It is followed by the electro beat of Handle Me With Care, which shifts tempo and direction, and sits much more in the pop category. Would we be as excited if a TV poppet was given this to sing? Unlikely, but when this group of professionals get together, this is the result.
It feels almost as if it were spawned in a jam session, with elements of Blondie lurking underneath. You could easily dance to this, should you feel the mood take you. There is another stirring latter passage which does help elevate it high above the standard pop dross and craft it into a much more refined piece.
It is followed by the buoyancy of Red Sky, a four-minute amble which once again has an electro background, and an ’80s feel dripping down the wall.
It is the closing track Sail Towards The Sun which really captures the feel of this EP. It drips with sentiment and emotion and sees Van Giersbergen’s best vocal performance of the entire EP.
Simple, yet layered with clever pieces that intertwine seamlessly throughout, the reed instruments merge into the overall sound and never overpower the vocals. A song that would work on a warm summer’s evening or a cold winter’s night, it is the perfect piece to conclude this intricate and captivating release.
La Mort will be available digitally on 27 March 2026, with a special vinyl edition released for Record Store Day on 18 April. For more details, visit annekevangiersbergen.com.
