Roofman - “hamburg to hell”

Photo by Sara's Lab

From Cloud Hill’s bathroom, Dutch singer-songwriter Thijs van der Meulen, aka Roofman, is back on the blog with another folksy gem, “hamburg to hell.”

If you are a connoisseur of indie folk music, please make note of the delicious analogue flavor on display here. As we’ve seen with the previous handful of singles from Roofman, there is absolutely no digital substitute for the warm and thick sounds of magnetic tape. Similarly, if a room is ripe with reverb, our philosophy is to pluck every available blossom from that branch.

It should therefore come as no surprise that “hamburg to hell” unequivocally checks off all of our boxes for the genre– pressing play is all the proof you will need for that. The song begins with a quick count, allowing the dead notes from an acoustic guitar to set the tempo. The arrangement comes to life with the sounds of some sparse and distant percussive elements, most notably a kick drum that provides a subtle heartbeat. The deep notes of a bass are present and accounted for, carving out a cozy resting place for a heavenly melody.

The vocal performance is absolutely divine, consistently layered with a soft harmony that eases the track fully within our niche. Supporting vocals occasionally fill any remaining spaces in the production, ebbing and flowing, offering listeners something new to win them over with each consecutive listen. About the track, Roofman offers: “The lyrics are pretty straightforward. I love making music and making new friends in Hamburg. Hamburg really is one of my favorite cities, so I always feel a little sentimental when leaving.”

In its three-minute runtime, “hamburg to hell” holds itself up as an exemplar for the true delight found in analogue recording. We’ve enjoyed all of the tunes that Roofman has released from 8 songs from the bathroom, but this one has landed him in our Hall of Fame, as it is the fifth time that we have featured him on the blog.

-HD