Swim Deep - Where The Heaven Are We?

Photo courtesy of Allmusic

And so it arrives. The new album from Brummie lads Swim Deep is finally here. Having built up an impressive fan base largely comprised of dreamy females either in the throes of adolescence or in their 20s - I by no means except myself from this crowd - Swim Deep come from humble beginnings; lead singer Austin Williams and guitarist Tom Higgins met stacking shelves in Morrisons'. Perhaps that's why their album is so full of wistful riffs and escapism.

For Swim Deep, it's all about escapism. Their name itself evokes fantastic imagery of beautiful underwater scenes and, to some extent, their music certainly lives up to that. Each and every track contains some hint of wishing for a better life. In Honey, it's "don't just dream in your sleep, it's just lazy". In King City, it's "fuck your romance, I want to pretend that Jenny Lee Lindberg is my girlfriend". In Colour Your Ways, it's "life ain't beige so colour your days and see it in the right light". It's got the catchy tunes, the hazy images and the wistful romance needed to make for the perfect summer album.

Source: Allmusic

Many of the old favourites, like King City, are still just as brilliant in their composition. However, Swim Deep seem like good-time guys, they're all about having fun. On touring with Spector and Two Door Cinema Club, they say it was "just touring with your best friends for 30 days. It was insane" - hence the fantastically dreamy outlook of the album. You do get the feeling, though, that if they'd spent a bit more time on a few of the songs, the album wouldn't just be good, it would be incredible. That's the only criticism I have to make of this album; it's a little frustrating, as there is huge potential for many songs. Soul Trippin', for example, has the beginnings of a brilliant ballad, but if they'd only tweaked little bits here and there, it could have become an amazing one. As a listener, there are points in the album where you wait for the songs to take off and they just don't.

That said, each song has its own merit, whether it's the wonderful lyrics that urge you to make something of yourself (Colour Your Ways, The Sea and Stray come to mind) or the fantastic bass or guitar riff. I adore Swim Deep, and I am incredibly proud of their debut album. I can only hope that they'll continue on this upward trajectory with the next ones.

Rating: 7.5/10

Recommended Tracks:
Soul Trippin'
Make My Sun Shine
Intro

Molotov Jukebox

Photo by Tamara Craiu

There's no real way to put it; Molotov Jukebox make Latin music sound like the kind of stuff you just want to get up and head bang to, they have an awesome brass section couple this with an accordion. I don't quite know how it works, but it really, really does.

Fronted by Natalia Tena of acting fame (she's added roles in Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and About A Boy to her repertoire), there's more to her than meets the eye. Born to two Spanish parents, she is fluent in the language and uses her Latin roots to her advantage; Molotov Jukebox's music is undeniably influenced by Tena's background. Although they may draw on Latin rhythms and riffs to add flavour and colour to their songs, they are anything but one dimensional. For one thing, Tena's official role within the band is lead singer and accordionist. For another, the music video for Get Ready was filmed topless "because it's really hot". Yeah. Damn straight.

Photo by Tamara Craiu

Being the only female in an otherwise all male 6 piece band might seem difficult, but Tena commands the band fantastically. Avoiding the Karen O approach to being a frontwoman, Tena opts for the mysteriously seductive approach. She does this in a way that allows her to be both of these without being overtly grotesque. Humility, however, is constantly maintained throughout - she's always ready to acknowledge the input of her band mates, and is completely "diamond in the rough" in her attitude towards everything. She swears like a trooper, is utterly vulgar and feels completely fine to yell at her cat, halfway through an interview, "stop being horny". For all this, she makes it seem endearing and winsome, which is a skill in itself.

Whatever you do, don't listen to Molotov Jukebox with any sort of preconceptions. Go forth and adore them, but make sure you first listen to them with your eyes closed and with isolating headphones on, just so that your surprise will be even greater. With Molotov Jukebox, it's all about the mindfucks.

Rating: 8/10

Recommended Tracks: