Roofman - “Black Woodpecker”

Dutch singer-songwriter Thijs van der Meulen, aka Roofman, is back on the blog with the sweet, vintage sounds of “Black Woodpecker.”

Upon pressing play, the track immediately bursts to life, with all the musical flavor of your favorite Wilco records. The guitar sound in “Black Woodpecker” somehow manages to hit that perfect tone between clean and dirty, ideal for this style of music. Its chords are laid out across a Bonham-esque beat, in 4/4 with a deliciously fat kick drum and tightly wound snare– altogether, creating a lovely and melodious dish to consume as we once again enter the work week.

The vocals are delivered very effectively, and it is a combination of their style and production that has earned “Black Woodpecker” a spot on our blog. And though the lyrics stem from Roofman’s curious obsession with woodpeckers, the verses contain words that are very relatable, such as: “I’ve got a lot of stories written in my head… I’ve got a lot of problems I don’t understand.”

The chorus has just the right amount of zing to become lodged in your head and the track’s uplifting beat is sure to keep your foot tapping until quitting time. If you’ve somehow managed to miss your morning coffee, “Black Woodpecker” will definitely put some pep in your step.

About the track, Roffman offers: “I’ve had this crazy obsession with black woodpeckers for a while. To me they look like birds from another planet. I’m living in the woods, so I can hear them singing or hammering trees almost every day. However, it’s very difficult to actually see the bird itself. To me, it became a metaphor for something that's super close but really hard to reach.”

-TM