F O U R T H E Y E

The new SWANS albums is EXCEPTIONAL.

Prior to The Seer I was not a SWANS fan. Their older stuff didn't do much for me. I picked up The Seer on a whim and it is a REMARKABLE album. Their latest album, To Be Kind, is just as good. It blends noise, ambient, drone, rock/post-rock, avant-garde together to create an album that is uniquely SWANS and is engaging on multiple levels. To Be Kind is really a work of art. We need to support bands like this that are pushing and expanding musical and artistic boundaries. Artists looking to challenge the listener and push past the inane sameness of so much of what is out there. Buy this album. Be patient with it. It requires, no strike that, DEMANDS your full attention. It is absolutely meant to be listened to in it's entirety.

i love The Great Annihilator (1995) album
she lives!
she lives!
[youtube][/youtube]

I have sampled Swans for the past decade or so and never felt a connection with the music besides a few sections of songs here and there. Not particularly fond of the vocals.

While I think they are fairly original in what they bring, I hear many 70's prog influences. If you don't, you haven't listened to much 70's prog.

After watching a few live performances it is very clear that they are excellent musicians, which usually goes a long way to me getting into a band, but not in this case. Not so far.

I'm revisiting The Seer right now, and kinda digging The Wolf.

"THE SEER" is amazing.

This new one . . . man, I don't know. I'm still yet to hit the second disc, but so far I'm leaning toward the "it's just pretentious enough to be a fucking wank" side of things.

I'm happy for that opinion to change with repeated listens, but it definitely lacks the nuance and creative brilliance of "THE SEER".

I listened to The Seer all the way through (again) and there were definitely moments... but while I won't go so far as to say it's "pretentious", it's just doesn't do it for me - I found nothing to make me want to hear it again.

Generally I like less repetition and more melodic content in my music.

The Boss wrote:
This new one . . . man, I don't know. I'm still yet to hit the second disc, but so far I'm leaning toward the "it's just pretentious enough to be a fucking wank" side of things.

I'm happy for that opinion to change with repeated listens, but it definitely lacks the nuance and creative brilliance of "THE SEER".

If I were you then I would hesitate before plunging head first into the second disc, Del Murio. Unfortunately it is nowhere near as compelling as the first, which I thought was brilliant.

Second disc seems like an after thought. Many of the tracks, while musically....interesting, are somewhat lacking both in structure and the way the vocals are introduced.

More than once, while listening to disc 2, I found myself thinking lyrically this is kinda lazy and I'm just not connecting with it on any level. they've certainly done better than this since reforming.

She Loves Us and closing track, To Be Kind are the biggest offenders. Musically they both manage to carve out some fairly technically proficient soundscapes, but fall flat as soon as Gira opens his mouth. Kind of painful even at times.

Great album, but didn't need to be a double.

All up I'd give this one a low 7. Maybe a 7.3. The Seer I would give around the same.

[youtube][/youtube]

You motherfuckers are high. To Be Kind is easily every bit as good as The Seer. It is genius level shit.

M0G wrote:You motherfuckers are high. To Be Kind is easily every bit as good as The Seer. It is genius level shit.

Yep. I mean admittedly, I'm only just now really diving into this band. But both of those albums are fucking amazing. I watched that Pitchfork documentary on them from The Seer and just really fell in love. How can you not with the way these maniacs conduct themselves?

joeypants wrote:

M0G wrote:You motherfuckers are high. To Be Kind is easily every bit as good as The Seer. It is genius level shit.

Yep. I mean admittedly, I'm only just now really diving into this band. But both of those albums are fucking amazing. I watched that Pitchfork documentary on them from The Seer and just really fell in love. How can you not with the way these maniacs conduct themselves?

Yeah, I've watched almost everything of SWANS live on YouTube from "THE SEER". Gira is intense.

I just love the glimpses into their "normal" routine, and the uncertainty/experimentation they thrive on.

Oh and their love of VOLUME. Too many fucking pussies in music today as far as that's concerned.

joeypants wrote:Oh and their love of VOLUME. Too many fucking pussies in music today as far as that's concerned.

^ Truth

SWANS – SPRING 2020 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
6/5/2020 Dallas TX Granada Theater
6/6/2020 Austin TX Oblivion Access Festival at Empire Garage
6/9/2020 Los Angeles CA Regent Theatre
6/10/2020 San Francisco CA The Fillmore
6/12/2020 Portland OR Revolution Hall
6/13/2020 Seattle WA The Neptune
6/16/2020 Minneapolis MN Varsity Theater
6/17/2020 Chicago IL Thalia Hall
6/19/2020 Detroit MI El Club
6/20/2020 Toronto ON Lee’s Palace
6/21/2020 Montreal QC Theatre National
6/24/2020 Allston MA Brighton Music Hall
6/25/2020 Philadelphia PA Underground Arts
6/26/2020 Brooklyn NY Warsaw
6/27/2020 Brooklyn NY Warsaw