Blondes - Swisher
Critic Score
Based on 17 reviews
2013 Ratings: #103 / 1115
User Score
Based on 19 ratings
Liked by 2 people
June 25, 2013 / Release Date
LP / Format
RVNG / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
musicOMH

There is a sense that perhaps Swisher is Blondes pushing their oblique take on dance culture by way of rhythmic experimentation as far as it can go, but there’s no doubt that where they have taken it is to an entirely new and sublime level.

80
Consequence of Sound

Unlike its predecessor, however, Swisher is less patient with the listener; its sounds are slightly less powerful, less easy, and less instantly appealing. This invitation and textured composition make for a more worthwhile, mature, and resonant experience.

80
Mixmag
Tracks regularly clock in at eight, nine and 10 minutes, yet Blondes never outstay their welcome.
80
XLR8R

Some may complain that Blondes hasn't radically expanded its horizons on Swisher, but frankly, such an effort isn't even necessary, as there's still fresh ground to cover within the confines of the duo's engrossing signature style.

80
Resident Advisor

That feeling of organic growth and decay is, definitively, what makes Blondes unique—everything is in its right place, but instead of processed-to-death perfection, it just feels natural.

80
FACT Magazine

Swisher is a lovelier record than Blondes, but it’s also deeper, more oblique and introspective, its sun-dappled romance toughened slightly by a smouldering undercurrent of latent darkness.

80
NME

The emphasis is on soft, kinetic beats, with melodies pulled out of unpromising materials – discordant synths, laser pulses – and it’s one whacking great testament to what dance music can do with a bit of imagination.

80
AllMusic

Swisher may not be as immediate as Blondes was, but these ambitious, accomplished tracks offer ample proof that restraint can be exciting.

80
PopMatters

It’s something you can really sink your teeth into — and derive pleasure from its airy and light techno journey into the skull.

80
Tiny Mix Tapes

It is one of the better EDM records in recent years due to its well-mired quality, and it feels neither trendy nor throwbacky nor settled. It is alive and humming and ready to take you into custody.

80
Drowned in Sound

It’s full of electronic crumbles and ice cold synths that are so inhuman they almost seem human... a bit like a Terminator actually.

79
Pitchfork

Swisher doesn’t abandon the beauty of the duo’s earlier work but it uses it more judiciously. This shift makes Swisher less immediately captivating but somehow more involving than its predecessor, establishing the ultimate core of the duo’s aesthetic somewhere deeper and altogether more mysterious.

75
The Line of Best Fit

Swisher is a hugely exciting record for what it suggests is to come, and offers plenty to keep us enthralled while we wait.

70
Exclaim!

Every bit as accomplished and rewarding as Simian Mobile Disco's recent work, Swisher is electronic music for the connoisseur.

60
Uncut
Having phased out the shoegaze from their sound, Blondes at times struggle to address the dancefloor head-on.
cheymander23
NR

Overall, I do believe this is a great album. I think that there is diversity in every song so that they do not end up all sounding the same. It is complex, and will definitely keep this in rotation.

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Track List

1Aeon
3:56
2Bora Bora
8:56
3Andrew
9:38
4Poland
7:53
5Clasp
5:19
6Swisher
6:57
7Rei
6:39
8Wire
8:15
9Elise
7:38
Total Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes
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Added on: June 25, 2013