With “Light Upon the Water,” Norwegian duo GISKE offer a gentle masterstroke of indie folk, weaving nostalgia, intimacy, and reverence into just under four minutes. As the lead single from their forthcoming album Ten Visits, Ten Songs, the track acts as a window into the long-standing creative kinship between Alex Rinde and Rune Berg, one built on mutual trust, subtlety, and shared memory.
The song opens with an unhurried acoustic guitar and softly shimmering textures, reminiscent of 70s era singer songwriters like Nick Drake or America. But this isn’t retro pastiche, it’s more of a quiet evolution. There’s a warm psychotropic haze that floats through the track, almost like morning light reflecting off a lake.
Lyrically sparse yet deeply evocative, the song includes moments like:“Your face was calm, like evening’s end / You knew the weight the water bends.” These lines aren’t just poetic, they’re spiritual anchors, subtly capturing the passage of time, the serenity of understanding, and the weight that friendship quietly carries.
What sets “Light Upon the Water” apart is its restraint. There’s no crescendo, no need to impress. Instead, Rinde’s vocals glide through the arrangement with an unforced tenderness. Harmonies bloom softly, never dominating but always present, like memory itself.
It’s meditative music, yes, but not sleepy. The emotional core is vivid, palpable. The Indie Grid called it a “meditative ode to lifelong friendship and quiet resilience,” and the song more than earned that title. GISKE have delivered something rare here: a track that doesn’t beg for attention but rewards deep listening. “Light Upon the Water” is timeless, transparent, and full of heart, a soft beacon for anyone seeking beauty in stillness.
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