SWOLL : "Avoid Attach"

This Baltimore-based band has an interesting atmosphere that sets them apart from their peers. They mix post-hardcore with an ambient form of indie that dabbles in electronics like Minus the Bear. There is less math rock going on than minus the bear, with the bass players keeping a creeping tension flowing through the songs. The vocals are shouted in a more punk fashion, but the aggression is more passive than overt. Sometimes they are more dynamic and sung in a way that would not be out of place on a shoegaze album.

"Do You Know What's Changed" is more melodic with its dream slathered drift. The synths come up in the mix, and the bass line is allowed to wander more. The vocals are lighter and explore his upper register a little more, but the melody is more abstract and pondering. "Sunsine" has a little more groove, but it seems this album is taking a more marked turn in a more dream pop-like direction, though it runs heavily through the filter of indie rock. This one has more of a subtle shuffle. 

"Dream" finds them leaning in a more organic direction, though not as tense as the first two songs. By organic, it does not mean the synth ambiance is gone, it just is not the primary focus. A bass is being plucked, though more as a percussive instrument than a bass line that is providing a groove.  There is more of a bass line to "Borrowing Air" but it is more minimalist and used abstractly, with the synth ambiance providing most of the groundwork for the tenative vocals. It's not the most dynamic moment on the album. 

The bass participates more on "Any Other Way" . I heard these guys used trap beats, and this song is the closest I have heard them come to that, and it makes me think they need to bring in someone from Atlanta for their trap beats. Synths play a larger role in the last song. The vocals are rather timid and fall back in the mix. I would think they might have wanted to at least bookend the album with some that carried more backbone, but that is not what they are about. I will give this album an 8, as it starts off with promise, but loses some focus in the shroud of it's own ambiance, yet, they have curated some interesting sounds and are doing something unique. 

pst374