Published on Mar 31, 2006
When track one — “And You Are” — of Swandive’s
debut effort Something To Melt The Silence, begins with a
mellifluously catchy piano-hook, you are almost certain to guess
it’s Coldplay doing another of its “Trouble”/ “Clocks”/ “Speed Of
Sound” ballads again and are ready to shake your head in dismay at
Chris Martin and his gang.
But on the realization that it is not Coldplay and is
in fact a little-known band named Swandive, the disappointment at
Coldplay turns into utter disgust at this no-name imitator. That
is, until the track progresses and you realize that this obscure
act from San Diego is actually not bad after all, and furthermore,
when the song reaches a moment of brilliance as singer/guitarist
Scott Spick does an amazing Jeff Buckley falsetto during the
track’s final chorus, you find the hair on the back of your neck
standing up.
Moments of such brilliance come in plentitude as the
record progresses, and at the end the album leaves you completely
in awe. This is what makes Swandive so special. The first track is
enough to indicate that they are heavily inspired by Coldplay, the
thought of which brings queasiness, and though there is nothing new
in Swandive’s kind of music, the beauty of this act is its superb
musicianship and song arrangements that are in a league of its
own.
The music mixes the cragginess of American alt-folk
sound with mushiness of contemporary Brit-pop, and Spick is a
breathtaking singer, matching the near-impossibility of Jeff
Buckley. Great artists like Buckley can be inspiring, but to sound
like him needs really serious talent, which show in Spick’s
high-pitched maniacal yells (“Mercy Begins” and “Fringe Glider”),
or drunken sexiness (“Drifting Slowly” and “Ana”), or just plain
sexiness (“Push, Pull…Choke” and “You’ll Never Know”). With
the range of notes that Spick hits, and his effortless ability to
reach them, he might well be one of the most charismatic singers in
rock today; this is not an overstatement.
The only concern with this album is that a couple of
tracks tend to be too much like a Buckley or a Coldplay track. For
instance, the aforementioned “Mercy Begins” sounds like a copy of
Buckley’s “Grace,” from its psychedelic guitar hook to its mad
eruption towards the end. Also, the riff on “Meaning Of It All” is
all too close to Coldplay’s “In My Place.” However, these cuts are
so wonderfully done that they are as heavenly as the rest of the
record.
Something To Melt The Silence is a fantastic
debut effort. It is a pleasure listening to music so intense,
simple, complex, beautiful, sexy, and edgy at the same time. This
is music with depth, straight from the heart, honest and earnest.
Indeed, a great masterpiece by an amazingly talented act.
[For more information on Swandive, visit www.swandive.us]