Fresh from his Glue single release, DIY artist Swoon releases an inventively retro-indie EP, Rainbirds.
Indie shoegazer Swoon has released a four-track EP, Rainbirds into the world today, an intricate link to his ancestral heritage.
Textually layered with nostalgic rock riffs and calming melodies, Swoon has homegrown a sonically vivid wave of guitar rock, swirling with hints of shoegaze and dreamy angst.
The artist, Adam Leng, allows his fuzzed-out soundscapes to engulf listeners in hypnotic nostalgia. Rainbirds, as described by Swoon, are migratory birds that fly from the South Sea Islands to Australia and mate during the wet season.
Swoon plays into this instinct of flocking back to one’s roots: “For me Rainbirds, was an attempt at connecting to the knowledge I had of my ancestry, and making peace with the idea of not having answers,” he explains on an Instagram post.
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The EP kicks off with the previously released single Glue, a track that leans heavily into his opaque aesthetic and vibrating reverbs. What comes next is a swirling cloud of any shoegazer’s dream, Rainbirds.
The track begins with an enticing pull of a soft Twin Peaks-like melody until a garage rock guitar throws a distorted layer in the mix. You can feel the sound bounce from the darkest corners of Swoon’s garage where the recording, mixing and merch-making took place.
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Glistening through the cracks is Light Beam, a shimmering fleck of gold that trickles down the spine. Eyes cannot be kept open in this saturated tune, playing with a subtle intimacy that can only be felt in dark and sombre excursions.
The final track on the EP is Silver Dollar, solidifying Swoon’s sonically electric prescience and intricate layering skills. The ethereal harmonies lean against the spine of guitar riffs and gothic drum beats.
While Rainbirds hints at the potential of Swoon, make no mistake, it’s a confident statement of an artist who has already arrived with a strong identity, with the skills and taste to bring it to life.
Listen to Rainbirds below.
