When The Blossom In Spring Is Falling

Lately I have been thinking a lot about Nits. Probably not unrelated to the news about his sudden illness that Henk shared with us a few weeks ago. And then listening to some music, the Beatles song “Dear Prudence” came up and I was struck by how much John Lennon’s voice resembled Henk’s. I am sure that if Henk sang the song, you’d hardly notice that it wasn’t John taking on the lead vocals. I love it when Nits do Beatles covers in concert. I was gobsmacked really when I heard them play “Tomorrow Never Knows” for the first time live. It was one of the most memorable experiences I ever had attending a pop concert. I also heard them play “All you need is Love” once live and “Norwegian Wood”. And a favourite moment of mine on one of their DVD’s is the ending of “Rumspringa” where they refer back to one of the greatest Beatles songs “Strawberry Fields Forever”, Henk singing “let me take you down”. I even bought the Nits cd with all the Beatles covers a few days ago from a fellow Nitsfan. And what’s more I went on to rediscovering Strawberry Wood: the record where Nits wanted – in Henk’s words – to sound like The Beatles.

What Nits share with The Beatles – beyond the insect name – is a natural genius to write songs, a certain playfulness and lightheartedness, an easy charm, a “jolly” lightness even when they touch on darker subjects, a sense of fantasy and the absurd while staying close to a familiar world. It is what I like about them so much. The no-fuss spontaneity with which they create the loveliest melodies and winding songs. Strawberry Wood brings out that Beatles vibe especially in the live performances of the songs on stage. When Nits play “Jisp” it’s easy to imagine a certain “Blackbird” flying around in the beautiful Dutch nature reserve… And Rob’s drumming on “Nick in the House of John” and “Tannenbaum” remind me of Ringo’s. The sadness of “Departure” brings back memories of “For No One”. These are just some of the random associations that pop up in my head…

“The Hours” is one of the highlights of Strawberry Wood. I adore the lyrics that play with the shadow of time, the rain and the snow of the Nits world, the changing perception of lived-in time. I added the video recording of the song during a remarkable concert in France with Henk Hofstede boasting a Bryan Ferry look in a whitish suit and black shirt. “The Hours” is just one of those songs where Nits sound mostly like themselves. As delicate and fresh as spring blossoms and winter snow…

Joke Roelandt, May 2023