Spring King – ‘The Hum’

Macclesfield quartet release catchy and punchy second single ‘The Hum’ ahead of their second album, A Better Life.

With crunchy guitars and thumping drums, ‘The Hum’ is reminiscent of The Vaccines-era Come of Age. You get the impression that Spring King have matured since their debut. A song about “returning to old haunts and old memories”, according to bass guitarist James Green, the single hints at a nostalgic melancholia that we have all faced at some point in our lives (‘Take me back to a place my feet touch the ground’). However, the recurring line of ‘You gotta fight for it’ gives a sense of optimism and powering through the dark times and “old haunts”. Plus, it’s not hard to imagine the likes of Kasabian getting an arena full of people to sing along to it – ‘THE HUM’ IS THAT CATCHY! Every hook is marvellous and unforgettable, a Beach Boys-esque indie-pop punk anthem, if you could imagine such a thing. It is purely genius pop song writing.

Spring King also utilize the ‘quiet/loud’ formula made famous by Pixies and Nirvana on this track. The song opens with drums and vocals, then launches into droning chords on the guitar with a staccato motif at the end of the phrase in the pre-chorus. Spring King never slow down and the energy never drops.

‘The Hum’ has been an Annie Mac ‘Hottest Record’ and I agree with her, and I can only imagine that A Better Life will set the world on fire.

Words by Matthew Brocklehurst