Swans Birthing
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Tunaboy45
October 11th 2025


19010 Comments

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.

hamid95
October 13th 2025


1341 Comments

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.

SAPoodle
October 27th 2025


892 Comments

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

Tunaboy45
November 9th 2025


19010 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Absolutely transcendent live performance

hamid95
November 10th 2025


1341 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

thanks for the reminder to get tickets, can't wait

Tunaboy45
November 13th 2025


19010 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Enjoy, I think it might genuinely be the best live show I've ever experienced.

gabba
November 13th 2025


3140 Comments

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.

FurtherDown
November 13th 2025


638 Comments

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.

hamid95
November 24th 2025


1341 Comments

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

AlkemestRedux
Contributing Reviewer
December 17th 2025


2110 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Finally had a chance to listen to this all the way through and liked it a lot. Good album to kind of sink into and occasionally be rudely awaked with. Makes me want to go re-jam The Seer.

Brabiz
December 21st 2025


2926 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

I am the best fucking fuck that you will never have



Yeah i think i hate this album ngl

Sharenge
December 21st 2025


7181 Comments


=(

RogueNine
December 23rd 2025


6171 Comments


"rogueten has no relation to roguenine?"

Hahahahahaha I'm just now seeing this. Never knew that guy existed but he must be stopped!

EyesWideShut
March 26th 2026


6164 Comments


this may sound like a daunting task but could anyone make a playlist of the best songs from the the last 3 albums ?

gabba
March 26th 2026


3140 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

here you go, I didn't bother with the order, just followed how they appear on the respective albums

needless to say, it is highly subjective, that's part of the fun

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07JbbrqOqr0WEGjiEm18vx?si=4TJkRuyqRuqykduS-8UvXg&pi=vVLBx_8ET_-Nz

Veldin
March 26th 2026


6009 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Great list Gabba. Honestly after working on my own playlist I realized it is simply easier to list the songs from the last three albums that are NOT essential, because there are genuinely so many songs that I think help create this beautiful tapestry across the last three records. So the songs that I DO NOT think are great include:

Hums, Annaline, The Nub, Unforming, Why Can’t I Have What I Want Anytime (still dig this one), and yeah lol I think I’m the wrong person to ask because I fucking love them so much.

EyesWideShut
March 26th 2026


6164 Comments


Thanks Yall its appreciated

FurtherDown
March 27th 2026


638 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Michael is Done from Beggar is a big favorite of mine



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