Search - Swan Lake :: Beast Moans

With all due respect to Tchaikovsky, I like this better :)

The Last Person You'd Expect | Seattle, WA United States | 11/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who already familiar with the three constituent bands represented by Swan Lake, I'd say the order of each of the three's influence goes in the order of seniority: Destroyer, then Frog Eyes, then Sunset Rubdown/Wolf Parade. Regarding the latter bands' Spencer Krug, he hasn't the experience to have carved out a definite stylistic niche of his own, but his musical talent perhaps matches or exceeds the others. So the album ends up sounding alternately like Frog Eye Carey Mercer's angular, grating screeches over an eery ambience and Destroyer Dan Bejar's wandering, sneering vocals over lush instrumentation. Combined with Krug's burgeoning talent for soundscapes, proven in both Wolf Parade and the more recent and avant-garde Sunset Rubdown albums, the combined talent of the three add up to what could turn out to be the Rolling Stones of our era-- if not for the fact that the notion of screaming teenage girls populating the front rows of the concerts is completely ridiculous. But without a doubt, they're the consummate underground art-rock ensemble.



Those unfamiliar with the bands mentioned above should note that Dan Bejar is *not* the New Pornographers. As much as the NP's differ from Neko Case's solo output, Bejar differs from the NP's power-pop. Another reviewer insisted on comparing them to the Decemberists, which is completely short-sighted and inappropriate. Bejar's voice kind of has the same nasally quality; both bands are working with the large epic-quality sound textures and struggling (successfully) to overcome the standard pop format while retaining elements of pop-- the differences stop there.



It's not worthwhile to breakdown the album song-by-song since few of the songs really stand out among the others and the album itself is the completed work-- not unlike any of the albums of the three members' previous bands (except Wolf Parade's Queen Mary, which is mostly track-based), or, for example, In The Aeroplane Over the Sea, Dark Side of the Moon or the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. On many of the tracks, it sounds like the three members wrote separately and then recorded together. On others, such as the first, second and last, it was clear that at least two of the three wrote in collaboration. If the goal was to mix their individual styles seamlessly, they ended up doing a pretty good job, but the result is only marginally better than a sum of its parts-- which is still really good. Highly recommended for a certain class of music fans. I'd recommend buying, in order, Destroyer's Rubies, Frog Eyes' The Golden River (or Folded Palm) and, if you're still intrigued, Sunset Rubdown's Shut Up I Am Dreaming, before judging this album too harshly. It may not be your type of music.



Overall, it's an enormously satisfying album. I hope Swan Lake is on-going and not just a one-time side project because I really think they have the potential to be the most progressive and memorable bands of our time. Enjoy!"

Moans and groans

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 11/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Indie supergroup Swan Lake certainly has a promising lineup -- it has members from the New Pornographers, Wolf Parade, and Frog Eyes.



With that kind of lineup, it's hard not to expect some enjoyably strange indiepop with a unique sound. And Swan Lake -- for the most part -- delivers, with its weaves of lo-fi fuzz, acoustic guitar and wavery synth. It starts off a little weakly, but quickly gains steam and barrels on like the Decemberists on really good acid.



It opens with the languid fuzz-pop and piercing synth of "Widow's Walk," followed by the dark "Nubile Days," a chaotic little mass of folk-dancey rhythm and hard-rock instruments. These two songs are pretty enjoyable, but they somehow feel like they lack a musical vision, and just got thrown together.



That changes with "City Calls," a dizzying swirl of shimmering synth and wobbly vocals. It sounds like the song was recorded during an earthquake, and it takes a few listens to hear the intricate melodies woven through it. From there, Swan Lake expands its sound further -- ominous fuzz-rock, eerie synthpop with shimmering voices, mellow guitars, and wonderful stretches of shining Hammond.



"Beast Moans" is one of those wonderfully strange albums that occasionally are made, and usually don't get as much attention as they deserve. Maybe this will be one of the exceptions, given the solid lineup... just so long as you don't expect to hear Destroyer, Wolf Parade or the New Pornographers. This is entirely different, like the Decemberists jamming with the Olivia Tremor Control.



The music itself is a glorious mess of the lo-fi and experimental, dabbling in sing-alongs and poetry recitals. There are rough riffs, droning melodies, a muffled tambourine, and enormous blankets of Hammond organ that shimmer like a waterfall. The instruments all flow together into a hazy melodic wash that gets more enjoyable as you listen to it.



Just don't expect terribly coherent songs, sung in Dan Bejar's off-key voice and Krug's more whispery one. There is a slight flaw, in that the poetic lyrics seem distant from the music itself. But the lyrics are beautifully befuddling, with peculiar themes ("One thousand people people/ Did what they could/ They found a steeple/ Tore up the wood") ranging from kindly earls to small towns flooding.



If Colin Meoy ever got eaten by a Hammond organ, the result might be something like "Beast Moans." While Swan Lake's debut album isn't the kind that you immediately embrace, its strengths come out as times goes on."

Lush, experimental soundscapes

R. D. Ward | Logan, UT | 12/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am a huge fan of all things Krug, and recently got into Destroyer. Although I haven't really gotten into Frog Eyes, I appreciate their avant garde edge. That said, when I first listened to this album, I was somewhat disappointed. It sounded muddled and slopped together. Several of the songs sounded like incomplete ideas. However, after repeated listening, I think that this is a really good album. It is best to listen to it as an album, rather than picking selected tracks. The whole thing gives me a feeling of floating. Upon my first few listens, I was overwhelmed by a wall of sound and reverb, upon repeated listening, however, different noises and instrumentation come out of the mix, making this an infinitely replayable album. Noisy cacaphony suddenly turns into melodic and beautiful moments, only to be swept back under seconds later. These moments (more and more are revealed upon repeated listens) are what make the album challenging and endlessly rewarding. Turn it on and get swept up in the blissful, melancholy haze that Krug, Bejar, and Mercer have created."