How To Swim
– Niagarama (Personal Hygiene Recordings)
LP/CD/DL
Out Now
Glaswegian chamber
pop band How To Swim release their new album.
The best thing
often seem to come along when you least expect them. The cover art to How To Swim’s new album,
Niagarama isn’t particularly eye-catching but it somehow drags you in to the
crashing waves of Niagara, the opener to a quite exciting album. Harry Houdini may well be proud as our hosts
tumble down the Falls in a barrel lamenting the sale of their business and
wondering if they are really doing the right thing by rolling themselves
downwards. That’s only the start of a
marvellous collection of eleven entertaining tracks.
Gregor
Barclay heads the group. A Scottish
BAFTA winning writer and composer known mainly for his orchestral work, he has
a keen ear for what works well and the songs here are incredibly well arranged
and performed.
After the
slow start we’re into rockers Small Parts Moving and Bacterium with the later
introducing us to a lively horn section which features intermittently through
the album. Huge choruses and dramatic
performances rouse the ears and keep them attentive.
Too Old For
A Crush (To Be Endearing) is a semi-militarian sounding song which seems to be marching
along quite undisturbed until an enormous cacophony of instrumentation interrupts
and then subsides. Gregor's voice contains a modicum of grit and gravel, executing notes and enunciating
superbly. There are feels of several
musical genres – (Northern) Soul, blues, pop and rock – which when expertly
intertwined, work when maybe they shouldn’t.
Tracks like It Doesn’t Have To Be You are wonderful to say the least and
could well be one of the songs of the season.
I Need A War
and Long Division give us a pop funk feel again with delightful instrumental
breaks and elevating brass interludes. Closer
All That We Wait For is pure pop genius, anthemic and compelling, a perfect
cigarette-lighter-waving end to a very accomplished album.
Niagarama
could well be one of the highlights of the year.
9/10
Links
Published on Louder Than War 9/07/14 - here
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