URL: http://www.seth.com/
Gorgeous melodic strengths, classic pop
structures, and even a light dash of psychedelia go into the making of Seth
Swirsky’s third solo album Circles and Squares. There’s no denying that the
influence of Brian Wilson, The Beatles, and other late 60’s American acts hold
considerable sway over the songwriting and sonic architecture of Circles and
Squares, but no one has quite the same ear for melody that Swirsky does. Moreover,
his talent for writing concise mini-symphonies is virtually unparalleled in the
modern music scene and nothing ever feels arbitrary in these songs. Swirsky’s
gift for words, melody, and arrangement are functional; the same beautifully
focused economy applies across the board on this – his third release to date.
“Shine” is a perfect example. You’ll
likely realize, after listening to the album in its entirety at least once,
that Swirsky could not have possibly chosen a better opening number. The
presence of piano in the song is key and helps push the song along in a
surprisingly percussive way. Harmonies are another key component in the song,
but it’s relaxed march contributes much as well. “Circles and Squares” is a
title track that comes rather early on the album. Nominally, a title song is
representative of the band’s efforts and, next to the opener and closer,
arguably constitutes the most important track on any album. Artists typically
place it at the end or in the middle of their releases, so Swirsky pulling out
that particular card on only the second song is a lightly audacious move. It
pays off. The rising and falling of the song creates a magical mood within a
relatively short space of time and Swirsky’s vocal is quite up for any
challenges that the song poses for a singer.”Far Away” moves him from the
brightly colored pop of the opening two songs into something much more
deliberate and plotted out. “Far Away” never sounds sterile because of this.
Instead, it plays like one of Swirsky’s more ambitious songs and sees him
attempting to cover his canvas in a much different fashion than before.
The mood turns coolly celebratory again
with the song “Let’s Get Married”. This is much more reminiscent, personally,
of George Harrison’s songwriting than The Beatles, per se. It is quite
obviously full of much love and tenderness, but the fervor is modulated some by
the distinctly laid back nature of the music. “Sonic Ferris Wheel” brings
another side of Swirsky’s songwriting into play. The brash drumming and bright
musical backing conceals some of the album’s darkest lyrics and the dramatic
tension that create helps the song stand out as one of the best on Circles and
Squares. Swirsky’s bravery is one of the most quietly impressive qualities
about this release and his willingness to tackle thorny personal topics is
inspiring. “Let’s Move To Spain” makes delightful use of traditional rockabilly
tropes while underplaying them just enough to sound completely clichéd.
Few artists ever write and record an
album with this many sides. The multi-dimensional moods and musical shifts
Swirsky brings to bear on this collection is difficult to forget because,
unlike most performers, it all works. These songs are certainly the product of
much labor and forethought, but Swirsky has the rare gift for making them sound
like they were always there and just waiting for someone to play them. Circles
and Squares couldn’t be more highly recommended.
9 out of 10 stars
Joshua Stryde
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