Astral Swans
Tiny Room, 2021
9/10
The recording moniker of Matthew Swann, as Astral Swans the Canadian artist breeds a very unique intimacy that’s indebted to ‘60s folk music, but also runs parallel to ‘90s indie-rock and is never short on interesting storytelling, either.
“Spiral” starts this 3rd album with Swann’s soaring and expressive singing alongside Julie Doiron’s soulful backing vocals in the dreamy, folk-influenced climate, and “Flood” follows with Brock Geiger’s crisp drumming alongside Kevin Sullivan’s sax and Paul Chirka’s keys that populate the ‘70s spirited setting.
Further down the line, “Sympathy For The Stupid” brings strings into a hazy, psyche-friendly landscape where subtle synth from Scott Munro makes for a very moody moment, while the swift “Bird Songs” has Chirka on melotron for the breezy, melodic indie-rock affair. “Cross Bones Style”, the lone cover on the album, then carries a darker spirit with Chirka’s beats, strings and synth amid Swann and Doiron’s strategic harmonizing in the Cat Power interpretation.
Near the end, “Beautiful Things Happen” offers a swirling haze of indeed subdued beauty, and “I Was Awake For A While” welcomes ambience and Carol Sweet’s emotive pipes to the cautious finish.
A very rich and daring body of work, Swann makes the most out of the strings present, and his haunting voice weaves the listen in and out of calm, vulnerable moments as well as loud swells, and the many guests help make this an experimental folk outing that isn’t to be missed.
Travels well with: Claire Cronin- Bloodless; Curse Of Lono- Severed