Commencing with an delightfully tender organ/bass touch, WHY?’s The Water You Walk is an interesting alternative to the Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Wizzard triad that dominates the shops at this time of year.
While it is unlikely that this will ever reach Twiggy and her mates galavanting through the snow at M&S, it’s nice to see someone throwing some different musical shapes at Christmas.
The pattering military drums ably back the home-recorded honking bass, the vocals calling to mind former chart-troubling indie beards Cake. Despite their label City Slang’s introduction of the song as ‘loosely Christmas-themed’ (it seems to be a love song of some gravity), there is plenty to commend it. A far cry from WHY?’s normal material – a curious, sweater-clad, nerd rap approach – this is a thoroughly diverting track.
The core melody is excellent, the subtle harmonies a welcome backdrop. Writing a pseudo-Christmas number (there are, after all, jingle bells and the phrase ‘have a very merry Christmas’ present) in such mobile time-signatures is, in the first instance, pretty bold, and to be commended.
A real grower that shows another side to this otherwise thick-rimmed hip hop artist.