Six Hills

The 39th release in Speedy Wunderground’s singles series is from Rotterdam indie-rock stalwarts Lewsberg. Following on from the bands softer (but no less effecting) recent gem of a mini-album In Your Hands – ‘Six Hills’ harks back to classic first-album Lewsberg – conveying all the attributes that made the label fall in love with them in the first place. Motorik drums, simple immediately-catchy guitar riffs, understated production with otherworldy guitar solos – hitting all the right reference point – Velvets, Television, Jonathan Richman – wrapped up in something that is completely their own. Coupled of course with those detached, deadpan, but engaging vocals, Arie (van Vliet) sharing duties on this occasion with the band’s bass player Shalita (Dietrich). The visceral imagery of the bands writing paired with the let-loose, ragged, it-could-all-fall-apart-at-any-minute-but-it-doesn’t nature of the music makes for a completely compelling listen – and a stone-cold addition to the label’s already stellar canon of singles. Sometimes the old cliches are best: Good things come to those who wait.