Hanford Reach - "Sommar Refleksja"

Words by Zach Romano

“Sommar Refleksja” the third single from Brooklyn duo Hanford Reach’s upcoming debut full-length After Image, is about as epic as a song can get. The track is a cathartic journey that clocks in at just over six minutes. According to Hanford Reach’s Chris Sherman, “Sommar Refleksja” was written while he was abroad in Sweden and Poland, hence the multi-language title. Sherman’s moment of inspiration for this song was a Midsummer sunset in Stockholm, and it’s not hard to imagine how the emotions stirred up by something as surreal as watching the sun go down near midnight could lead to the gorgeous track Hanford Reach have given us here.

“The song is rife with emotion, with one eye looking back nostalgically at one’s journey and the other toward the sense of possibility,” says Sherman. This division maps onto the track’s structure as well as its focuses. The first half of the track is rolling and wistful, with an anthemic chorus that features wails from Sherman’s guitar accompanying and highlighting his reverb-drenched vocals. Just over halfway through the song, though, the feel shifts entirely. After a segue of guitar and bass noodling, “Sommar Refleksja” becomes something else entirely, with driving drums and guitar pyrotechnics before a long fadeout.

Stream it below and stay tuned, as the band’s debut record, After Image, is out on May 26th via Favorite Friend Records.

You can listen to Hanford Reach’s music on Bandcamp or your streaming platform of choice. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.