Swim Deep - She Changes The Weather (Chess Club/RCA Victor)
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| Swim Deep - She Changes The Weather |
Release Date: 6th May 2013
OK. This is serious stuff. Most
of the time I get sent perfectly competent music by reasonable musicians and,
I'm sure, lovely people. Every now and again though, something comes through
that genuinely stops me in my tracks and reminds me how lucky I am to be able
to share great, new music with you. I had heard of Swim Deep before I received
a copy of their new single but everything I'd heard somehow convinced me they
were a Westcoast American bunch of
misfits making stoner rock for slackers and dropouts (nothing wrong with that
by the way, some of my best friends are slackers). However, much to my delight,
Swim Deep are actually a quartet from Birmingham (UK not Alabama) formed
through chance meetings, boredom and a sense of want more out of life - the way
all great bands are formed.
For a single, 'She Changes The
Weather' is beautifully brave, determined, unrelenting and expansive to such an
extent that it is absolutely natural for this record to have a nearly two minute
intro. The looped piano riff that brings 'She Changes The Weather' to life is
not particularly melodic but conjours the wide streets and immaculate front
lawns of middle America with children playing openly on an optimistically warm
Saturday morning. As the drums join in, almost shuffling through the garage
door, the tune starts to swell and take shape and you can feel that sunshine
burn through the haze and start to warm the world around you. This is a record
that inflates you with positivity and allows your soul to float above the
streets, to rise above the mire. Vocals akin to Tim Burgess at his sleepiest,
guitars that Smashing Pumpkins would be proud of and a wall of sound that
Nirvana would have made if they'd only had one positive song. This is part
Shoe-gaze, part grunge, part Indie and a great big dollop of soul warmed
through with the sunshine of your youth. Mainly, though, this is simply one of
the most refreshing, exciting and intriguing pieces of music created by a
British band that I have heard in years. There is a debut album coming soon and
a string of live dates that you really ought to cast an eye over but for the
time being I think that 'She Changes The Weather' should keep you going for
quite a while - I've given it about 15 listens so far and it's still
fascinatingly beautiful.
More information: http://swim-deep.tumblr.com
Live dates:
30.03.13 Stockton
Stockton Calling
02.05.13 Liverpool
Sound City
04.05.13 Leeds Live
at Leeds
18.05.13 Brighton
The Great Escape
25.05.13 Bristol Dot
to Dot
26.05.13 Nottingham Dot
To Dot
27.05.13 Edinburgh
Cabaret Voltaire
28.05.13 Manchester Deaf
Institute
29.05.13 London Village
Underground
31.05.13 Birmingham Institute