Blonder Tongue Audio Baton
This was The Swirlies‘ first full-length album, released by Taang! records, and it’s really something special. They are often compared to My Bloody Valentine, and with good reason. As soon as the opener Bell starts you can see the similarities. Quiet moments juxtaposed with loud, brash crashes of noise. The entire album feels hazy, fuzzy, dreamy. When I listened to this album I was also reminded of some of Sonic Youth’s stuff, particularly Daydream Nation, and perhaps Murray Street. It’s the wall of noise you notice immediately. Somewhere in all that fuzz, there is a melody, and softly sung harmonies. Each song is riddled with fuzzy sounds and a sense of otherness you just can’t quite put your finger on.
Pancake and Jeremy Parker are disorientating slices of dream-pop; spooky, atmospheric, and hypnotic. Jeremy Parker especially has a sound that can only be described as huge. To me it encapsulates what this sort of music is all about. You will be shocked at just how similar this song is to Sonic Youth’s earlier stuff, too. Still, the heavy fuzz of the guitars never feels overdone or too aggressive. The entire album has an aura of comatosed rock music, as if you’re listening to music being played several rooms and several floors away. Songs like His Life of Academic Freedom and the gorgeous ender Wait Forever have a soft, lilting sound that washes over you.
Rarrrrrrrgh 