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Swell took me a little time to get used to, but once I did I began to see what was up with them. They play slow, relaxing, lush pop which is very addictive. "Today" starts out with a slow drumbeat with relaxed vocals and a mix of fuzzed out and acoustic guitar into "Oh My My" which at the beginning almost sounds like something Radiohead would've done in the past. Lolling bass and sounds from a keyboard and guitar start out and then the vocals come in. At the chorus, an emo sounding amalgam of piano and guitar come into the song. "Off In My Head" is such a fun song to listen to. A crazy twinkling keyboard effect into a loungy, spacey collaboration of guitar bass and drums. They make a point not to do anything super extravagant, but they get job done with what they do at any rate. If you like the slow, relaxed heavier side of pop, this is definitely something you shouldn't miss. |
| Look past the old guy giving you the finger on the back of the cd, and step inside to one of the best rock bands you've never heard of. "For All The Beautiful People" is Swell's fifth album, following one of 1996's best albums (in my opinion) "Too Many Days Without Thinking". That album was an interesting mix of melody with mood, lyrics ambiguous but poetic. Every song had a hook, making for one infectious album.  "For All The Beautiful People" follows along the same line, only there's more mood this time around than melody. Resonating guitars on one song are replaced by organ drones on the next, eplaced by acoustic strumming on the next. There's obviously a lot that production engineering has to do with Swell's sound, but the tweaking and messing about is subtle, you know it's there but it's not prominent. There, too, is an obvious amount of craft and composition in Swell's sound, bringing together eclectic sounds, restrained studio instruments, and deep, almost talking vocals. Unlinke "Too Many Days..." Swell doesn't really rock-out with this, David Freel's vocals showing some self constraint, as does Rob Ellis on drums. Too good to be kitchy, too down-to-earth to be eclectic, and too pleasureful to be strange, Swell is far and away San Francisco's finest offering, something that should be recognized a little more. |
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If you don't count a spell busking in small Basque villages to crowds of confused Basque persons, Swell's first live show was in August 1990, opening for Mazzy Star. They got the gig because of the interest generated by their self-produced, individually silk-screened, 433 copies-only debut album, which was also called "Swell". "It's a very B-movies term", deadpans David Freel, "and of course, we're a very B-movies type of band." Since then a steady flow of guitarists and drummers (including long-time member Sean Kirkpatrick) have gathered and dispersed around the core of Freel and Monte Vallier. Swell followed "Swell" with "…Well"(1992), "41"(1994) and "Too Many Days Without Thinking"(1997). Their music has fleshed out as it has evolved, and although the sparse, acoustic edginess of their early songs (the source of those "godfathers of lo-fi" tags) still crackles at its heart, there is now much more to be found. As early as "…Well" tracks like "At Long Last" demonstrated Swell's unusual talent for tight, economic grooves, while the backing vocals on "It's Okay" ("Mmmm…shit") were another shard of the band's trademark glassy black humour. With each release, a select but growing band of Swell initiates have clamoured to welcome more music from a band whose scarred perspective, narcotic delivery, intuitive arrangements and talent for sly, slow-breeding melody make an inmitable, addictive combination. "some bands just make records - Swell create masterpieces"
- Melody Maker. |
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Thankfully not. In the world of American Indie Swell are well respected, having built up a steady following since their 1990 self-titled debut LP and improving on their music as they went, this being their fifth album. Opening track Today fades in with a low bass riff much in the style of Pearl Jam's Rats only to fill out into a moody low-fi album rather than another PJ epic. Oh My My is REM circa Automatic, with its acoustic finger-picking and piano accompanied chorus and Something To Do mixes the bass and acoustic combination once more, only to culminate in a gorgeous flute-led chorus. This band have the ability to take the simplest of melodies and repeat them until they are the catchiest ones you've ever heard, but without overproduction, to keep the overall sound 'real'. Swell have a talent that is very rare. You could play this album today and love it, and hear it in a years' time and still think it was great. For All The Beautiful People is solid proof that low-fi can work brilliantly. What a Swell album. 10/10 Karl Cremin. |
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I know absolutley nothing about this band. I guess I could find some stuff out if I was so inclined, but right now it's perfect. This album remains a mystery to me on this level, but musically, it's wonderful. Crank this up on a rainy day. Swell goes from Firewater to Beck to Pink Floyd-sy moments, and manages to make a hell of an album on the way. [Ian] |
Swell
return to San Francisco with the release of For All The Beautiful People.
Recorded on their home turf, the twelve tracks (featuring the powerful
and creative drumming of Rob Ellis (P.J.Harvey)), offer more variety than
ever before, taking in some fine acerbic Freelisms ("You think you're
sad? I think that's crap", he opines on "Blackmilk"), bizarre synth noises
("Make Up Your Mind" scores highly here), ambient / exotica interludes
and the soaring Stax horns that drive the chorus of single "Everything
is Good". Like all Swell albums, you don't think it's going to be able
to match their previous achievements. Like all Swell albums, it might
just turn out to be their best yet!