I’m aware Greta Van Den Brink is an actor and stunt artist. She’s turning her hand to music too, and I have to say I am rather impressed. New single, the head-turner of a title being Swimming On A Spoon, has charmed me. I wasn’t expecting it to be as enjoyable as I found it, frankly.

I always love new music. Always will. When an artist describes a new track as sombre, and melancholy, I often find myself hoping for a hook to avoid a case of self-indulgent woe-is-me disease. This track is nothing like that. While yes, it’s got a slow beat, and is minimally orchestrated, it’s organic, whimsically performed, and exquisitely produced.

We’ve got a somewhat avant-garde spoken intro that swiftly blends into some sweet, warm strummed acoustic. Greta‘s vocal, reminiscent to me (this is subjective, remember) of fellow Kiwi vocalist (Anna)Robinson. Similar timbre, and there the comparison ends. Greta has delivered a haunting yet groovy vocal, with a chorus that’s a surprise earworm when considering the low mood and tempo. Working with producer and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Jupe, the arrangement, composition and instrumentally wise.

The guitar is joined by a strings synth piece that sits beneath it and an extremely subtle bass. Percussion steers away from skin smacking, and enhances the organic vibe of the overall track. Defo right up my street for the thoughtfulness and evident enjoyment of crafting the tracks for the overall end product. The fun had is palpable.

From the EPK Greta explains: “It’s a song for the nights you miss them* so much, you feel like you’re drowning. The title of the song is explicit and symbolises how sometimes these dark places feel like swimming in circles. The pattern is stuck, the same mistakes are made, and the fear of being unable to escape is overwhelming. In these times, we go for our familiar crutches and the cycle continues.”

*The listener gets a visceral sense of profound despair and pain through vivid imagery of isolation and heartbreak as the track details a raw, reflective journey of a person at a telephone booth desperately trying to reach the person they need the most. (also from the EPK)

This is acoustic and organic, but sits outside what one would think is a folkie genre. It’s definitely an indie buzz, and a wee bit pop/emo but it’s deep and thoughtful, and well considered all round. It can be enjoyed across a veritable pantheon of occasions from cold nights in bedsitter-land through to a summer breeze teasing your toes as you rest up in a hammock on a beach somewhere, the sound of the South Pacific close by.

I’m into this track. I really dig what Greta and Ethan have done here, with the songwriting and studio work combined. I see a definite chart hit. No vid for me to review, but I’m happy enough with the audio. If you like the understated but vibrant, you’d do well to take my word for it and check out Swimming On A Spoon by Greta Van Den Brink. It’s got that elusive “it”.