I was happy to be passed along the new album by the band Swill and their newest release "Turn the Lights Back On" - it's one of the perks of running this blog, that I get advanced copies of music. Which I intend to take full advantage of.
The first track I listened to was "Angels Cry," a bluesy, rugged, swinging-sounding song taking its cues from some of my favorite genres and twisting it into a unique new form... Like gritty glam but without the bombastic polish and artificial sheen, this is more soulful. The track almost reaches back to the influences that inspired so much of that rock from the '70s and '80s.
Second up was "A Fable," which had a significantly nice contrast to "Angels Cry." This one carries a comedic sound, yet, as was the case with the previous, still expertly played. One thing I love is the narrative element... It's a story and it's like I'm waiting to hear what happens next. The line "be careful where you want to plant a seed" is a surprisingly good piece of advice these days.
Then the title track: "Turn the Lights Back On" opens with a distant piano, sounding neglected and lonely. Immediately after the guitars and drums come in with blaring hard-rock. There's a punk element to this one. In its own way, it reminds me of The Romantics' "What I like About You" in its sense of groove. The catchiness is infective and ear-wormy in the best way.
Out of Reach starts with sweet vocal harmonies, again, this has some punk elements but is more sophisticated in its composition. The instrumental breaks are pulsating and hit hard for sure. It almost sounds like a Rock n' Roll Military cadence for long hair-leather pants soldiers to march along with. I could envision armies of metal fans demanding organic music played on real instruments to be the standard again.
On to the song: "Heavens Getting Crowded," the band is continuing with a narrative theme. This one is an anthem for sure. The guitars chug along with the drums accompanying playing beautiful leads; it sounds like something glorious. For this track, we get to hear the vocalist's sweet baritone, complete with ethereal-sounding backup singing. Everything is lovely with interludes and breaks.
"Better Off" In this track the flanged guitars are keeping a low-key vibe which is a nice offset coming from the other hard-hitting tracks. That is until the chorus kicks in, then it's back to the ferocious element I've enjoyed since starting to listen to these gents. The vocals are passionate and raw. There's even some pandemic-related banter that echos everything we're all thinking which gave me a solid head nod and chuckle.
With "Strange Addiction," we're back to the bluesy rock which made my ears perk up on the first track. Something I love on this track is the high end of the vocals. No one can say the singer doesn't have range. Again, it's another song that shows the lyrical aptitude of the songwriting in Swill.
"The Contract" begins with subtle guitar rhythmically playing notes. It starts off with a very, almost folky vibe. This element is bolstered in lyrics with religious tones ("In the river Jordan we bathe"). It then breaks into a triple meter much like we'd expect from our favorite prog bands. I was not expecting this avenue in Swill's writing - and it's a welcome surprise. Again, it's a testament to their musicality.
With "Don't Wanna Know," we're back to orchestral beautiful guitar singing - entering delayed vocals soar over the sparse instrumentation making for a tight performance. This is the kind of track that reminds me of cityscapes... Imagine the soundtrack for some kind of dystopian cosmopolitan place (think Bladerunner meets Batman) and then shoot a smokey music video in black and white.
"Can't" has pulsating drums that bring this song to life. Highly effected guitars, which, if we were speculating, almost sound synthetic in their variety of timbre. Again, this has a very nostalgic feel to it, and it's not just because of the repeating line "can't forget her." The vocals have been so powerful up until this track, I'm heartened to know that the singer is able to navigate the subtleties of his musical expression. There are far too many singers who just try to show their power/register on every track. This guy understands dynamics.
Finally, we come to "Rise Up" - We're treated to upbeat guitar riffs and drum intros lead into another very anthem-like soaring guitar lead. This one is optimistic and youthful. One thing that has stood out in virtually every track is how amazingly tight this band is. It's the kind of rhythmic coherence that can only come from years and years of playing together.
Overall, I have to say that if there was one word to sum up Swill, it would be "musicianship." These lads know their craft extremely well and deliver on every track like their life depended on it. Giving them some ear-space is highly recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment