Swoon

Swoon

Hammerhead Records, 1990

REVIEW BY: Bill Ziemer

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/19/1999

I gotta admit, this is one of the more interesting albums I have listened to lately. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 Swoon is a peaceful listen, and at first, I was at the edge of my seat waiting to hear what was about to spill out of the speakers next. Swoon achieved a pretty peaceful, airy sound on this album. This is a good album to throw on as background music at a busy party where people like this somewhat hazy, drugged out sound.

Despite these accolades, I really can't recommend this disk. First, this is a horrible recording. The overall sound is muddled, and the vocals are almost impossible to understand throughout. It's too bad, because that's this album's main fault. You can't blame the band, but you can't expect anyone to plunk down hard earned dollars for an album that sounds like it's been recorded on wax either.

Another negative: Once you've listened to a few of these songs, you'll notice that they all really sound the same. I admit, this argument can be made against any album that's ever been recorded, but after several listens, it's true. The overall slow pace of this album doesn't help this fact much. It drags toward the end. Also, guitarist Joe Stover revisits the same tremolo fade over and over. I kept asking myself, "Which song is this again?" It's hard to tell sometimes, the pace is consistent throughout the album, and there isn't much to the Swoon guitar attack.

While not a great album, Swoon sound at times like they're ready to turn the corner and crank out some great stuff. Unfortunately, it doesn't take place here. This album isn't a total bust -- it achieves an interesting sound. That's all though. This album is recommended only to the innately curious, or the total music nut.

Rating: D

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© 1999 Bill Ziemer and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Hammerhead Records, and is used for informational purposes only.