Throughout the last few years, progressive singer and songwriter Matthew Swann aka Astral Swans has always been on the pursuit of a bolder and more enigmatic direction than his contemporaries. Regularly absorbing influence and inspiration wherever he finds it, his work to date has been this sprawling and retrospective look at his own surroundings and the imagery they generate in his songwriting. But with pandemic lockdowns breaking his conventional methods for creating new music, he has chosen to return in a more upbeat and jovial guise with his latest self-titled full-length.
Giving this release an eponymous name is a clear indication that this collection reflects his most honest self to date. From the very start, ‘Astral Swans’ looks to pursue a more vivid and technicolour intention, bringing his psychedelic textures to the forefront and embarking on a sound that is about finding new life within himself. Working on this record both pre and post-COVID has given the artist a more matured feel to his material, regularly experimenting with new and diverse ideas that allow him to breathe a more inventive spark this time around, and deliver something with light and glittering aesthetics throughout.
Astral Swans has always had this firm and poignant attitude, but for this new album, he is bringing a more well-rounded approach. There is a beautifully rich and dynamic flow running throughout, something that creates an invigorating and passionate guise without ever breaking a sweat.
