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Swans - Leaving Meaning

Started by Dirty Boy, October 30, 2019, 11:51:51 AM

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Dirty Boy

What do we think?

I'm liking it a lot, but i'm not sure it's something i'll return to that often. I should say i've never listened to Angels Of Light or The Burning World (that favourite of Gira's!) which it seems to be getting compared to in reviews so it's maybe not as much of a surprise to seasoned fans as it seems to those of us that got on board post-reformation.

I've been listening while wandering around in damp, leafy wooded areas which might be the perfect setting for this and the lighter, almost jazzy feel to some of it is an interesting development (no doubt guided by those folks from The Necks who played on it). The post-rockiness and repetition is still evident, but it seems like a necessary move from the 'hammer a chord for 10 minutes' thing especially when i read that Gira is now struggling with tinnitus the poor bastard.


alan nagsworth

As a recent member of the Swans camp I've been looking forward to this but have not yet had the time to set aside and soak it up. I am disappointed to hear there's no hammering of a chord for ten minutes but still looking forward to it as it's got The Necks and Anna Von Hausswolf on it.

kidney

Don't want to sound like an insane, reactionary shitface but I feel like this may be one of their best albums to date (up there with The Seer, SFTB and The Great Annihilator, for me). I loved To Be Kind and The Glowing Man as much as the next guy but I'm relieved that they've left behind the 'hammer a chord for 10 minutes' thing (as you put it) from those albums without sacrificing the hypnotic repetition that is crucial to their sound. This is just so wonderfully pleasant yet sinister and dense with really beautiful instrumentation, especially tracks like Leaving Meaning and The Nub which are ones that I could exist in for hours at a time.

Dirty Boy

Quote from: alan nagsworth on October 30, 2019, 07:29:55 PM
As a recent member of the Swans camp I've been looking forward to this but have not yet had the time to set aside and soak it up. I am disappointed to hear there's no hammering of a chord for ten minutes but still looking forward to it as it's got The Necks and Anna Von Hausswolf on it.
I know what you're saying and they're still taking a similarly minimalist and powerful approach with the new stuff, but it could be argued that they have done plenty of that kind of thing already - The Glowing Man had a few moments where it felt like a less interesting retread of The Seer and To Be Kind (having said that, Frankie M is one mammoth bitch). Add to that Gira's failing lugs and it's no wonder things have been dialled back a bit. Worry not, it's still intense music just more sinister and woozy this time around.

Wouldn't mind getting into The Necks actually, but where to begin? If only there was some place for asking...

Dirty Boy

This got a thumbs down from Cab then? It's not that terrible...