Drawing us in with a natural soundscape crescendo with cerebral and psychedelic nuance, Love Trip open Wind on the Hill with a pristine pop vocal and vivid, situational prose as Mary Rising sings, “There’s a wind upon the hill, grass is waving in the ocean…”
The opus expands with references to portals, and the expansive nature of the universe, before a sonic switch up featuring a meditative, glistening alternative folk moment showcases the dynamic and dimensional offering that Love Trip bestow with their artistry.
Will Hammer‘s production is exquisite, and the talented creator showcases instrumental mastery and ingenuity with his sound design. We learn that the composition was created in the duo’s solar powered van whilst they travelled through Arizona. This alone demonstrates the power of contemporary music and how groundbreaking and environmentally astute Love Trip truly are.
The pair cite Sylvan Esso, Rising Appalachia, and Mindchatter as some of their sonic influences, which we can feel come through with Wind on the Hill, although there is no doubt that Love Trip are manifesting a sound unto their own. Mary’s dramatic hums pick up pace, resulting in a final wail before Will performs an enchanting violin solo, concluding with a dynamic breakdown, tapping into an almost break-beat energy, finally wrapping up with Mary’s hummed riff.
Speaking on the release, Love Trip confess, “We created this song during long nights in the desert eating dates, playing cards, and tinkering the song. The more whimsical the idea the more we leaned in.” They add that the song was also inspired by the flooding in their home base of Topanga, where “there’s a river in the yard”, which is also the first lyric of the second verse. Intentionally, Love Trip elaborate, “This song captures the eery feeling of when the earth speaks out against how we are treating it.”
We appreciate the expansive and dynamic nature of the composition, and have added Wind on the Hill to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our new TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream Love Trip‘s debut single, Desert Heart, and anticipate future releases from the talented duo.