Wednesday, 6 September 2023

Swive - Stereophonic Stylings Volume One

 


San Diego quartet Swive release their debut album and it really is rather good. It is hard to pin down where they fit best. There is a stunning versatility in what they do and the male and female vocals enhance this variety either as stand alone or joint vocalists.

Songs handled by Sid Merritt vocally allow her to generally rock things up. A great example is the 90s Indie Alt Rock of Diamond Path which moves along at an exhausting pace. But compare that to magnificent centrepiece that is Desert.

Desert is six and a half minutes of stunning West Coast Country Rock that packs a hell of a twang and some awesome Guitar work, particularly the outro which meanders wonderfully. As that solo progresses, you just stand up and applaud. Sung by Indio Romero, it underlines how the contrasting voices work so well.

Little Did I Know settles beautifully into a mellow-ish Classic Rock. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking Merritt does the Rock and Romero does the poppier stuff. But then you listen to Cat Vs Vacuum and this Romero leading on a really noisy affair that you sense is desperate to be a Teenage Fan Club like song.

Something is great Pop Rock with a Power Pop Beat, whilst Race Car is a heavier Jefferson Airplane. But Bad Tendencies is splendid Indie Pop and a great example of how the joint vocals work so admirably. Another example of those voices is Fenix. Highly Recommended!


You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on CD, Vinyl and as a download.


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1 comment:

  1. I liked this CD so much I bought it for myself and sent a CD to my friend upstate. This is the first CD I've bought in years.

    The female vocals remind me of Anne Richmond Boston from Atlanta's "The Swimming Pool Qs" from the 1980s. I always loved Anne's deep timbre: it made her tracks stand out from the rest of the band's. This CD harkens back to that depth of sound. I cannot wait to hear this in my car with the volume turned up just a tad.

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