SWIM SCHOOL // "SWAY" - SINGLE REVIEW
‘Sway’ is the debut single from Edinburgh’s brand new indie-pop quartet ‘Swim School’.
SWIM SCHOOL
★★★★★ (5/5)
Having formed from four musicians who met in the capital’s vibrant local music scene playing a diverse array of genres, the group were brought together by their shared love of such indie-acts as Pale Waves, Wolf Alice and the Amazons. Shades of their influences are evident throughout their debut track whilst the band able to put their own unique stamp on it.
The track itself is a slick piece of laid back indie-pop with memorable melody lines and a calming, mid-tempo groove. Vocalist and guitarist Alice Johnson manages to create a soothing atmosphere using her subtle-yet-effective vocal delivery. The compassionate laziness used on lines such as “You take my hand say, let’s get away” and “We spent so long chasing the weather” help with creating the calm summery vibe that the band managed to craft together so well. Lewis Bunting’s guitar playing in the track shows how valuable and effective simple melody can be, creating lines that are instantly memorable and gathering intensity in the brilliantly soaring bridge. A brilliant texture is created between the guitars and floating synths. This band overall seem to be brilliant at getting maximum effect out of their carefully designed subtlety. Grooving basslines from Matt Mitchell give the track exuberance and energy and make the track a must-hear live. Nairn Milne’s pounding drumbeats provide the track with dynamic range from the grooving intro to the intense drum-led bridge and outro with interestingly elegant fills and, along with the bass, provides a smooth danceability to the track. Excellent production from local producer Mark Morrow gives the track a glossy and textural aesthetic. ‘
Sway’ is written and put together well, creating a dreamy summer afternoon experience and proving that Swim School are ones to watch on the Scottish scene in 2019.
STREAM ‘SWAY’ BELOW:
SWIM SCHOOL | UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
01 March 2019 | GALASHIELS MacArts - (Supporting Indigo Velvet)
02 March 2019 | EDINBURGH Sneaky Pete’s - (Supporting Whitehill Grove)
16 March 2019 | GLASGOW Mango - (for Queens of Noise)
24 March 2019 | EDINBURGH Leith Depot - (with Tranqua Lite)