HUTCH - 'Ice On the Lake'
HUTCH shatter all preconceived notions of music in their icy-fresh blended melody ‘Ice On the Lake’.
The track opens with a catchy riff and your standard foot-tapping vocals, reminiscent of familiar favourites The Latham's. However, as the first chorus hit (or more of a harmonious, climactic interlude, as this song doesn't fit into your typical verse-chorus format), I soon realised that this song is the Johnny Depp art house genre of the music world.
HUTCH’s latest hypnotic hit is permeated with Queen-like harmonies and unpredictable tempo changes, where the momentum of the track almost collapses in on itself, and you are left suspended in psychedelia. It contains swatches of dreamy 90s indie and 70s prog rock, with a Vanilla Sky aesthetic that is enchanting in its fragile beauty (mirrored in the euphoria of the cover art).
HUTCH provides an insightful recount regarding the song’s true, anecdotal meaning: “We took a stone from what we’re 75% sure was Hugh Laurie’s house and tried many times to break the frozen lake with rocks, sticks and anything else we could find - to no avail.” More vividly this song is about trying and failing, with the glistening backdrop of an icy dreamworld. HUTCH has taken this childish, freeing moment and articulated it lyrically, maintaining that same mid-morning bliss in the bones of their music.
The fluidity and hybridity of the track allow for experimentation – which is something rarely found in the modern music sphere. Instead of churning out manufactured truth like the trending artists of our society, HUTCH has taken the time to stitch together this musical bricolage and subsequently create something that is refreshingly unique and authentic.
Starting next month, HUTCH are embarking upon their 14-date Headline tour. In the meantime, their newly-released single ‘Ice On the Lake’ is a deliciously addictive taster for what’s next to come!
Words by Charlie Jolley
