Oliver Hazard - “Summertime Whiskey”
Oliver Hazard are no strangers to our blog and we’ve found it very difficult to resist their indie folk treasures whenever they come rolling through our inbox. And their fresh cut, “Summertime Whiskey,” is no exception to this rule.
This one starts us off with some smooth vocal work, accompanied by some tasteful keys, setting a bit of a melancholic mood. This makes sense when you learn that the narrator was going through a breakup as the track was being penned and, like many of us often do, poured some whiskey to ease that sting.
The harmony vocals make an appearance a few moments later and this was a major selling point for us. There seems to be little else in the world as glorious as those sweet, melodious layers of voices set to music, and they’re so beautiful here that the listener cannot help but want to go through heartbreak in order to, one day, create music such as this.
At around the one-minute mark, “Summertime Whiskey” suddenly turns from sadness to a sound of hope as the piano and rhythm section elevate the entire performance. The lyrics reflect the mischievous revenge of leaving his ex’s belongings by the street and the melody is so bouncy and carefree that one cannot help but draw comparisons to The Beatles or ELO. And though the song never abandons its folksy sweet spot, it also opens its arms to listeners of multiple genres.
We won’t go on and on about how perfectly recorded and produced this thing is. Instead, we will let you listen and find out for yourselves.
-TM