When people think of Feeder, what do they think of? Do they think of the simple, upbeat rock of songs like Just a Day, Buck Rogers and Seven Days in the Sun? Do they think of mellow pop tunes like Comfort in Sound and Tumble and Fall? Do they think of stadium-rockers like Feeling a Moment and Just the Way I'm Feeling? Well, this CD will change that.
Swim originally debuted in 1996, and at the time was a mini-LP, containing only 6 songs. However, the album was re-released in 2001, with 5 extra songs from the same time period.
Kicking us off is
Sweet16. Those of you who remember the original Gran Turismo on PS1 will know this song. It's a typical rocker, but it's an untypical Feeder rocker, in the sense that the music is a more unrelenting powerhouse. The guitar riff is a bit linear, but it tends to work. The drumming from the late Jon Lee is solid.
8/10
Next up is one of the album's better songs. On a trivial note,
Stereo World also featured on the band's next album; 1997's Polythene. This song, er, heh, isn't very subtle to begin with. It just kicks straight into some heavy bass, pounding drums, and a high-pitched riff. The verse structure moves back and forth from riff to rock, as it were, but just as you're about to think you're bored, the chorus kicks in, which is amazingly uplifting and great. The middle 8 section helps break the song up nicely too.
8/10
The rock songs keep on coming. After a short, melodic intro, the drums burst to life, and we kick into
W.I.T.. The riff is for me, the best out of the first three songs. The chorus is pretty neat too. This song doesn't hold back. No soft sections at all. A pretty average solo from Grant Nicholas carries the song along. My main gripe with the song is its lack of length, which is a bit of a shame.
7/10
Aha! What's this? Is it a foreign object? Nope, it's a slower song!
Descend (the second track to be included on Polythene) carries a really grunge-y feel. Taka Hirose plays some solid bass in here. Once again, the chorus is a boost, and is heavier and louder than the verses (but what were you expecting?). Clocking in at 5:25, this is the longest song on the album, and is also one of the better ones, probably because of the contrast between some of the other songs surrounding it.
9/10
Shade. By far my favourite song on the album. It's another upbeat rocker similar to that of the first 3 tracks, but what sets it aside is it's all-round solidity. The whole band follows the riff pattern in some form, and the verses are great; shouty and agressive. The chorus, once again, is the best part of the song, but this time Grant has some backing vocals to make it more three-dimensional. Also, the second and subsequent choruses vary in length to the first, providing some subtle variety. The breakdown leading into the soft middle 8 part are both good at breaking up the pace, without detracting from the song at all. Go listen to this song.
10/10
Entering ballad territory now. The second half of the album contains no less than three ballads, and the title track
Swim is the best of them. Grant's vocals take the fore along with his strummed guitar, and the odd bass addition from Taka. Not much more to add really. Typical ballad, done well enough.
8/10
For me,
Elegy is the least impressive song here. Feeder go soft, but a bit too soft. Everything is just so mellow and low and slow that nothing stands out. As a song, it's decent, but it just seems so out of context on this album.
6/10
As for
World Asleep, it's just...it's just.... great. I sometimes still don't believe I'm listening to Feeder hearing this song along with Shade. Everything about this song is just superb, with good variations in places, and lack of a boredom factor. There is a sneaky and sudden drop in volume and tempo a bit into the song, which can catch you off guard at first, and it adds to the song's appeal for me.
10/10
Up next is a song from the band's first ever EP; the two-track Two Colours. And my, how they've changed since
Chicken on a Bone. They could even manage inherently funny song titles back then. Idiomic to the rest of the album, it's a simple guitar intro into a rocker. Not to much to say that'll read differently to other comments I've made on earlier tracks, but the song is still very good, and has a slightly different edge compared to a few others. The solo is probably the album's best too.
8/10
Following that is a song that follows a simple tactic; riff, repetitive lyrical pattern, repeat same line about 7 times each pre-chorus, then stick a chorus in. Repeat, add middle section, add chorus. Hey presto!
Spill! Regardless of its generic-ness, it's still a solid rocker, and this time the shortness is probably beneficial.
7/10
Forgiven is the last of the three ballads on the album, and isn't that bad either. It has a tranquil style similar to that of Elegy, but it just works somewhat better, somehow. It's a generally uplifiting song, and is a somewhat fitting album closer.
7/10
Pros:
-It bloody rocks!
-Jon is not at fault at all behind the drums.
-Something different for Feeder fans
Cons:
-Sometimes tries, and fails, to sound like a 'proper' metal/grunge band (case in point: Spill).
-May scare the minority that prefer albums like Pushing the Senses.
The album will certainly strike you, especially if you're more familiar with Feeder post-Echo Park. However, if you're like me, you'll love it for that reason. This album recieves a peachy
8/10.
