Customer Reviews

The Atlantic Ocean

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Richard Swift is not a grand slam. Richard Swift is a solid double where the runner slowly steals his way home.

When I brought the CD home I liked only 2 songs, which grew to 3, then 5, then most of the album. My husband went from calling it 'that weird music' to asking how many other CDs Swift has and recommending it to his friends. Its in constant rotation.

The songs have a strong retro center (50s doo-wop, Beatles, motown, player piano) with an electronic veneer. The effect is catchy and a little different, and it sticks in your head. The lyrics are simple and not particularly profound, with themes of loss and contrary points of view/feelings.

Highly recommended.

I drove 2,100 miles in a Penske Truck and listened to this throughout. It's pure gold... a.m. gold. If you like your pop powerful, thoughtful and varied, this is your perfect album. Sometimes it reminds me of the great band Plush; sometimes it's dead-on Nilsson. I can't recommend this highly enough for those listeners searching for something that is different from 99 and 44/100% of everthing else out there.

p.ssssst. My Amazon name pre-dates this Swiftian review, so don't assume a relation. Thanks.

Accidentally ran into the music of Richard Swift - I went to see Vetiver and liked the opening act even more. Richard Swift has been called a modern day Harry Nilsson - cool info on that found at NPR and baroquepopradio.blogspot.

Younger fans that love Coconut Records & the Shins will fall in love with the Atlantic Ocean.

If you wonder who Harry Nilsson is, sample this:

The Point! (Deluxe Packaging)

It's hard to take Richard Swift seriously at face value. He looks kinda like Jack Black and has a similar cheekiness in his music. Also like Black, once you hear how adept he is as a musician you're likely to be surprised. Unlike Black, Swift is a bit more mellow in sound, his voice sounding like an amalgam of Bob Dylan and Frankie Valli. His surround sound bears a combined similarity to what one would hear on a Wilco album and your local oldies station, all mixed under the purview of Gnarles Barkley's Danger Mouse.

With The Atlantic Ocean, Swift continues his surprisingly catchy oeuvre after the subtle yet very quality Dressed Up For the Letdown. The Atlantic Ocean is a bit more up-tempo, comprised of a weird yet intriguing inclusion of electronica weaving in between an omnipresent piano, lonely horn section, crunchy guitar and banjo ensemble.

For me, the album starts out as any typical alt-rock album would but slowly morphs into a 70ish guitar driven contemplation, to finally an echoing Motown dirge. And Swift, with all his weirdness, pulls it off. Favorite tracks include the immaculate The Original Thought, R.I.P., Bat Coma Motown, The End of an Age, A Song for Milton Feher, and the ultra funky Lady Luck.

The Atlantic Ocean is one of those albums that sticks in your head long after the headset is removed. It may not win many awards, but Swift proves he has a lot of originality to offer. Those taking a chance on Swift will be amply rewarded.