Scotch & Water - 'Moving On' — When The Horn Blows

Hamburg collective Scotch & Water cut 70s influences through contemporary indie pop on gravitating groove, Moving' On’.

’Moving On’ opens with glistening, psych tinged guitar textures that almost feels like glacial wintery magic, setting an uplifting tone to the song from the start. But Scotch & Water are in no rush, and the track moves at a leisurely, atmospheric pace, driven by a funky head bopper of a bass and percussive groove seeing chiming guitar notes needling their way through in support of vocalist Samira Christmann’s powerful, distinctive, folk inflected vocal.

Scotch & Water have no time for predictability, constantly shifting direction and tone, flittering different instrumentation in and out of the track to create a shivering and thrilling atmosphere. It’s a sound that feels timeless and sparkles with vintage appeal without being rigidly tied to the past. ‘Moving On’ is mellow, brooding and spacious on the lyric -led sections of the song. Christmann’s vocal tone crisply cuts through the smooth groove but the vocal melody remains light and bouncy, ingraining itself in your muscle memory, compelling your body to move.

’Moving on’ is a song dipped in mellow melancholia and sombre reflection. The band delve into heavier arrangements and darker tones with an elasticity as Christmann is joined by thrilling backing voices while she ponders feeling overwhelmed by, “too many choices in my head, in my mind, all the time all the time”. The introduction of vocal harmonies excitingly increases the intensity of the emotions felt. As the track climaxes, Christmann’s vocal feels like sunshine as she vulnerably croons the mantra, “take me home, take me home even if I say I wanna go alone”. The band increase their energy alongside the repeated vocal, incorporating more familiar indie folk arrangements into the song, before building into a swirling, beautifully chaotic instrumental, then closing the song on the same glistening ambient textures that introduces the track.

Scotch & Water have created a reflective, whirlpool of sound to wash away incessant thoughts and unnecessary worries. It makes you think of the sun’s warm kisses breaking through clouds on days your soul feels cold. It sounds like the glint in the eyes of someone who really cares for you, even at your most difficult. It’s simply spectacular.

Words of Karla Harris

Scotch & Water are Samira Christmann (vocals), Max Quentmeier (bass, guitar and mandolin), Hansjakob Wedemeyer (guitar), Lasse Weinbrandt (drums) and Dennis Bajer (producer and sound engineer).