Bleep

Speakers Corner Quartet and Tirzah are a match made in heaven, such that whenever they jam together it's a cause for celebration. ‘This Is How We Walk On The Moon’ is the third released collaboration between the London based outfit and vocalist and the lead single to the band's original score for BBC TV series Mr Loverman based on Bernadine Evaristo's eponymous book, and such a standout connection deserving of its own 7” single with a special version rework on the B-side from SCQ drummer Kwake Bass.

The series unravels themes of family, authenticity, and queer desire through the experiences of its titular character, the London via Antigua loverman Barrington Jedidiah Walker, and ‘This Is How We Walk On The Moon’ sits at the heart of the story. Fitting then that it's ingeniously adapted from the original by the legendary Arthur Russell who's own queer sexuality ties in with some of the same themes from a similar era as the show. It's a song that lends itself well to Tirzah's lullabying vocals and soft, effortless melisma, with mantra like lyrics fitting into the world she has constructed in her own discography. Lilting, subtly treated strings and scattered organic percussion form the core of the track, before everything floats away as vocals are dressed elegantly in buzzing distortion, and the arrangement soars in an artfully layered instrumental feast that SCQ fall perfectly into. Kwake Bass's version of the track elevates it even higher, pure bliss as vocals and strings and engulfed in a delicate wash of ambience, opened up by a gentle thud and crisp hand drums bringing push and drive to the glittering soundscape.

It's always a joy to hear Speakers Corner Quartet and Tirzah link up, and SCQ's first soundtrack release has given them the perfect excuse to lay a bright and cathartic tune into wax.