Swift Silver

CD Review: Swift Silver

by Antony Bailey for Country Music News International Magazine

  1. Belleville Blues
  2. We’ve Given Up On Us
  3. Looking Back
  4. Tonight, Forever Yours
  5. Come On Home To Yourself
  6. The Fields Have Turned Brown
  7. Blackbird’s Refrain
  8. We All Get Our Turn
  9. Ain’t Wrecked Yet

 

The Southern songwriters Anna Kline and John Looney, otherwise known as Swift Silver, released a self-titled 9-track debut E.P that is certainly worth adding to the ever-expanding country collection. This record takes the listener way back to the roots of country music. Their debut E.P celebrated its first birthday in June of this year and is still being downloaded and attracting new listeners.

The first track titled ‘Belville Blues’ whisks the listener away to the roots of the genre. The tempo is relatively moderate, and the instrumentation is somewhat stripped back as it replicates a bygone era that epitomised the music that is heard on the radio today. ‘We’ve Given Up On Us’ is a slow ballad that reflects on the emotional despair of a relationship on the rocks. Silver showcases her soaring vocal range as her tessitura effortlessly glides from one note to the next as well as her use of melisma at the end of a phrase.

‘Tonight, Forever Yours’ continues the slow tempo theme as Silver reflects on falling in love with the one and ‘Come On Home To Yourself’ pushes the music a little further. Here, listeners can hear a distorted guitar, shuffle beat, and convincing vocal performance by Kline as she adds more flavour to the music in terms of range, dynamics, and tempo. ‘Looking Back’ follows a 6/8 meter and begins instrumentally before the dynamics decrease slightly to accommodate for the vocals. The tempo and rhythm and reminiscent of defining country blues era that skyrocketed the genre to new heights.

Other songs such as ‘Blackbird’s Refrain’ include plagal cadences, commonly heard in Gospel music, and ‘We All Get Our Turn’ is poignant, enthralling, and emotionally taxing as it turns the listener to a sobering reality that life is worth living and no matter how much pain one encounters, one must continue on the path towards righteousness. Lyrics such as ‘’We all get our turn to grow old’’ reflects on life; both past and present and suggests that one should enjoy their youth and the journey of life.

The E.P concludes with an emotional ballad titled ‘Ain’t Wrecked Yet’. ‘’I cast my net wide to see what could be’’ captivates the listener and gives good reason to be pensive as the song offers hope and belief despite past, present, and ongoing difficulties that burden a person’s life. The album re-visits the roots of country music – from the southern drawl to the tremolo on the vocals and lyrics to add more flavour to the music. Kline’s vocal range seems to effortlessly glide without any sign of straining from beginning to end.

Be sure to download this record from the various available platforms and follow the duo’s social media pages to stay in the loop for future releases and updates.

 

 

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