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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Swisher may not be as immediate as Blondes was, but these ambitious, accomplished tracks offer ample proof that restraint can be exciting.
It’s something you can really sink your teeth into — and derive pleasure from its airy and light techno journey into the skull.
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.
It’s full of electronic crumbles and ice cold synths that are so inhuman they almost seem human... a bit like a Terminator actually.
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.
Swisher is a hugely exciting record for what it suggests is to come, and offers plenty to keep us enthralled while we wait.
Every bit as accomplished and rewarding as Simian Mobile Disco's recent work, Swisher is electronic music for the connoisseur.
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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