New Music | Langkamer - Hatchet

George Ward

Freelance journalist based in Bristol. Can be found at the Grain Barge, Rough Trade or in his tiny basement bedroom writing for CLUNK.

Bristol indie rock band Langkamer return with another single, the laid back and thoughtful ‘Hatchet’ ahead of their upcoming second album

‘Hatchet’, the new single from Langkamer somehow manages to be relaxing enough to put on in the background and thoughtful enough to get sucked into, paying attention to each and every lyric.

The instrumental kicks off with a playful little riff before dropping back to a simple chugging bass and guitar. This chug is the powerhouse of the track, keeping pace and allowing the vocals and occasional distorted riff to dance around on top of it.

The main appeal of ‘Hatchet’ is the vocal performance and lyrics. It is an unassuming track but have a listen and it might just hit you pretty hard. The press release says it perfectly: “if a little axe can cut down a big tree, then the two snappy minutes of ‘Hatchet’ are more than enough to grapple with the ravaging passage of time.” Beautiful.

The chorus “don’t mind me, said the hatchet to the tree, we’re all lucky just to be for a little bit” sounds timeless, like an old folk saying or a word of advice passed down through generations. In fact, the track was inspired by an older poet called Jim, who opened up about how hard mundane activities become when you’re older.

This moment of reflection is expanded to a brief but thoughtful 2 minute track about time, ageing and being grateful. It’s a hidden gem that I couldn’t recommend enough.

Listen to ‘Hatchet’ here: