CD Review: THE SWON BROTHERS – The Swon Brothers

If every country debut cd was as good as THE SWON BROTHERS no country act would ever fail  The cd opens with “What I’m Thinkin’ About” and while I was still smiling “Later On” came on and my smile got bigger.  “Chasing You Around” should please the ears of every cool-retro-country fan with the killer bridge “…and with one last broken promise I finally realize, I may be yours but you’re not mine”.  “Songs That Said It All” left me a little flat, although the harmonies are spot on fantastic.  “Pray For You” is okay but the chorus first line “Sometimes you need more than whiskey” in a non drinking song didn’t ring true to me.  “Breaking” is a knockout ballad and “95” is a great upbeat summer song ala It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.  “Pretty Beautiful” might be the most sonically wonderful way I’ve ever heard you’re-perfect-so-let’s-go-F??? sung, followed perfectly by “Colder”, a really nice cool-retro-coountry ballad.  “Same Old Highway” continues to leave me wondering whether the singers are physically looking for the girl or the whole song is about saving the relationship because the lyric never seems to tell me.  With the great singing, great melody and great guitar this song would have been well placed as the last song on this cd instead of “This Side Of Heaven”, an intense downer song which could have been a heart wrenching cigarette-lighter-lit song but instead leaves me taking the cd out of my player instead of tapping my foot right into the first song repeat.

All in all, THE SWON BROTHERS will be a much played cd in anyone’s collection and I truly look forward to their sophomore release.

 Written by Michael Sikorsky for Country Music News International