From the dark country drama and sultry intrigue of last year’s single Oil!, Scott Swain casts his imagination into even more deceptive corners with its successor Like Nothing Else. The song is a gentle yet brooding encounter; warm and seductive yet with darkness in its lining which as much blossoms into a provocatively mesmeric enticement as the melodic warmth within, .
Making use of the downtime from his bands How to Dress a Monster and Fire at Night to explore his personal writing and songs, Swain unveiled his solo project last year and released the irresistible single Oil!, a song showing hints of inspirations ranging from Elliot Smith and Mark Lanagan to cult cinema. As its predecessor, which was inspired by There Will be Blood, his new track was written about a movie, Event Horizon the spark for Like Nothing Else.
The opening caress of acoustic guitar is an earthy yet celestial lure, Swain’s warm vocals adding to the song’s elevating flight of melody and temptation. With rhythms laying shadows in close quarter to the radiance embracing vocal and lyrical reflection, the song swiftly becomes an easy transfixing of ears and imagination. Simmering with creative and suggestive theatre, the track slowly but openly builds in emotion and intensity from there, its journey into an understated but rousing crescendo a gripping realisation before a final kiss of melodic and harmonic sighing lies poetically on the senses as the song drifts away.
Throughout its evolution, Like Nothing Else is pure captivation and confirmation that Swain’s solo side is heading towards major attention.
Like Nothing Else is released 28th April.
Upcoming Live Dates:
23/04/2017 Craft Beer Company, Brixton, London.
26/04/2017 The Cellar, The Finborough, Earls Court, London.
08/05/2017 Spice of Life, Soho, London.
18/05/2017 The Bricklayers Arms, Hitchin.
28/05/2017 Opium Bar, Edinburgh.
http://scottswainmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/scottswainmusic https://twitter.com/scottswainmusic
Pete RingMaster 19/04/2017
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
My Complexion follows, swiftly sharing its own infectious gait and nature as LL courts ears and thoughts with her evocative words and enticing voice. Its unique spice adds a delicious tang to her melodic prowess, essences emulated in the blend of jaunty guitar and jazzy bass alongside. An eruption of fiercely fragrant guitar only adds to the temptation, a one off moment not to be repeated but lingering as long as the song’s general spring and beam.
The EP opens with the irresistible El Impulso, its inescapable temptation instantly teasing through Holden’s smiling bass throb, it courted by small but spicy sparks of guitar. Her voice is soon an energetic smile in ears too, slipping effortlessly between English and Spanish as melodies from Clarke’s guitar weave their warm coaxing. It is hard to truly give a proper reference to Holden’s music such its diverse and unique character and presence but a mix of Holly Walker, Regina Spektor, and Molotov Jukebox gives a pretty good idea of the pleasure waiting within Tropical Soul. With percussive scrapes and Beauchamp’s frisky beats, the song is manna for feet, hips, and enjoyment and still just about eclipsed by its successor.
Lost At Sea follows, acoustic guitar stroking ears as Mullin’s again vocally shares his reflections being subsequently surrounded by simmering and increasingly bold flames of strings courted by celestial keys. The song laps at the senses, suggestive light shimmering on its surface before the darker hues of Colour Of Pain compellingly slip through ears. With a bluesy edge to its melodic lure and shadow hugged emotion, the outstanding track is a haunted bewitchment, melancholy and sorrow its engaging suit as Mullins reveals yet another side to his ever broadening solo journey.
The septet of Dan Kemp, Ivo Johansen, Jared Dyer, Celeste Cantor-Stephens, Danny Epstein, Jack Kitchen and Jo Dobraszczyk, who we truly thank for bringing the EP to our attention, gets things stomping with opener Lion’s Share. Vocals and melody tempts ears first, their warm invitation soon joined by boisterous rhythms and strolling riffs as brass and the alluring charms of Dobraszczyk’s accordion flirt. As swiftly as the sounds engage ears, the track’s swing has feet shuffling and hips grooving, its individual ska/punk mixed proposal carrying essences of bands like Faintest Idea, By The Rivers, and Gogol Bordello to great effect.
It is a stunning start quickly matched by Medi-Monster, a slightly livelier affair in energy with brooding shadows to its wiry melodies. Vocals are a wonderfully dispirited incitement, magnetic and mournfully introspective but luring full participation with the song’s almost disturbingly catchy chorus. It is impossible not to get physically and emotionally involved with either of the first pair of proposals or with the albums title track which follows. Its rhythmic shuffle has a touch of Fatboy Slim to it making a kinetic canvas for the dark folk serenade of voice and melody. A blend of contrasting textures, the track seduces hips and thoughts with ease even if not quite matching up to the lofty heights of its predecessors.
From its gothic, funereal spiced enterprise, the band unveil a lighter gait and atmosphere with second offering Feel It All, though again the darker hues of cello and brooding tones of Jeff Diehm’s bass provide rich drama against the livelier air cast by guitarist Tony Lechmanski (Bella Morte) and Kevin Ardrey’s boisterous beats. Though less pronounced the vaudevillian touch of its predecessor colours the track to captivate before Let The Waves Crash On Me hugs the senses with its country rock/folk lit embrace. Its reflective heart and rich weave is a kiss on the ear, Hoffman a beacon at its core.