Drawing us in with a psychedelic soundscape featuring intricate guitar motifs, spiritual flute flourishes, and textured toms expanding with an astral riser, Walter Hansen opens Summertime with a divine energy. The opus evolves with a glistening dimensionality as Walter sings, “When it’s Summertime, when the sunshine dawns it begins with you, your smile so bright, laughing on the beach, castles in the sand, walking hand in hand…”
We are immediately drawn into the vibrant and picturesque universe that manifests with the prose. There is a timelessness, but also a conscious universal nature to the track. We are enthralled by the sound design, intentionally trippy and a highly accurate depiction of the holographic nature of light energy from the sun.
Lyrically, the message and narrative are relatable, but there is something much deeper going on. The song is an ode to the sun, a message of gratitude, and understanding that the energetic frequency that the sun creates is ancient and cosmic.
We love the Middle Eastern nuances, and the lyrics, “I’m dreaming, can you hear me, I miss you, I’m dreaming, can you see me reach for you…”. There is human connection tied into this, of course, but the invitation for us to connect with the universe feels very important and prevalent too.
Speaking on the release, Walter confesses, “I wrote this song with the intention of trying to grasp the Florida beach vibe with nods to funk, chill wave, and percussive dance beats. I also incorporate multiple instruments that are intimately me, the accordion and the flute as the accordion was the first instrument I learned at age four. And the flute was always a second instrument since I was a saxophonist.”
He adds, “I grew up with the beach never that far away and it was always a happy moment in my life. Always ending too soon. The day would just go by, having me wanting more. There is a sense of longing for that moment to not end whether it’s fun at the beach with the family, an intimate moment with someone special, or a special moment at the tiki hut with friends.”
The instrumental segue with scattered ad-libs is sublime, this leads to a compressed moment before an iconic finale and cerebral fade out. Fans of Enrique Iglesias will be able to vibe with Summertime, although Walter comments on his genre expansive nature by saying, “I am inspired by many artists for different reasons, Jimmy Buffett for trying to capture the Florida chill vibe, Michael Jackson by his intricate rhythms, Motown artists with the groove. Along the way I have absorbed many artist styles.”
Needless to say, we are totally in awe, and have added Summertime to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Walter Hansen, including Twilight, The Beach, and I Miss You.