SuppliedAstral Swans
All My Favourite Singers Are Willie Nelson
Madic Records
MADICRECORDS.com
Calgarian Mathew Swann pushes the boundaries of what’s possible as a solo act with his newest offering to the indie music scene: Astral Swans. Featuring eclectic rhythms and poetic vocals, Astral Swans mixes lo-fi folk and psychedelic rock to create a perfectly imperfect album — All My Favourite Singers Are Willie Nelson.
Astral Swans perfectly harnesses the tendency to make small mistakes in the making of All My Favourite Singers Are Willie Nelson by refusing to cut them out, instead making them a part of the sound. Things as simple as missed notes or off-beat drums give this album a homely charm. These imperfections ground this album in realism, giving the listener the sense that they’re right next to Matthew Swann as he plucks away at his guitar.
Make no mistake, the small imperfections are not the focus of this album, merely a unique part of it that enhances the listening experience. Where this album really shines is in its range from simplistic to complex. “September” leaves the listener with a catchy tune stuck in their head, carried almost entirely by a simple riff and a great chorus, while “Attention” crescendos with a glorious, chaotic mixture of strings, vocals, and cymbals. The first single to be released off the album, “Beginning Of The End,” finds a great middle ground between simple and complex, starting off slow before descending into an effects-ridden guitar solo.
Astral Swans is a breath of fresh air in a world of over-produced music. By letting the sound speak for itself and making no apologies for imperfections, Astral Swans achieves lo-fi bliss.
