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Album Rating: 4.5
I've been reflecting quite a bit on this current period of Swans, from 2019 to 2025.
After The Glowing Man, it really seemed like that was going to be the moment the band let the 'big sound' go and make a shift into more stripped back material. The release of It's Coming It's Real as a single seemed to confirm this. Ultimately, that hasn't been the case. Leaving Meaning and The Beggar sound, for better and worse, like the two sides of the band's sound, the droning, crescendo-centric pieces and the gothic neofolk have been in conflict.
Birthing feels like a successful mediation of those two sounds, making it the perfect album to put the post-reunion period of the band to bed. I hope the next phase of the band makes good on the promise of It's Coming It's Real.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
interesting, i definitely agree. gira seems strangely adamant of knowing what the next step is gonna be after each swans record, but that's of course never how the creative process works. it'd be fascinating if a new album essentially turned out to sound like one of his solo projects.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I think Gira has always really wanted to take things in a more, for lack of a better word, *straightforward* direction and do songs like Blind, Annaline, etc. but has never been able to get there when it comes to doing a full album in that sound. Leaving Meaning and The Beggar felt, to me, like The Glowing Man (Acoustic Version); not in a bad way, but that big change in direction wasn't really there that I thought was coming after TGM. Will be interesting to see how the next album sounds, for sure
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Absolutely transcendent live performance
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
thanks for the reminder to get tickets, can't wait
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Enjoy, I think it might genuinely be the best live show I've ever experienced.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Swans holds this title for me also, from 2012 when I first heard the songs from The Seer at a gig, pre-album release. Knowing that I’ll miss them this time is painful.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
My best Swans experience was probably first time I saw them, after the release of To Be Kind. But they are always extraordinary live. I really loved the unreleased stuff they played this year, one song especially felt like a callback to Helpless Child, although some parts of that show felt a little bit overlong, which is something I've never felt at their show before. But it can also have something to do with me being in the back of the balcony at not-particularly-good spot, whereas I experienced all of the past shows right under the stage.
Yeah and Beggar tour was also nice, for some reason the audience was seated this time so me and my friends got high and that was really something haha.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
levitated from the first song they did. and damn, the merge has an INSANE groove live, I'll remember that for a long time
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