Welsh poppy indie punkers Swansea Sound have always been vocal about where they stand and politics are all over their new album Twentieth Century, on which they try to bring the ideals of the last century to the current one. Now that everything is digital, most people won't realize that it comes at a price. Rampant commercialism (Click It And Pay), a miner working hard in a coltan mine to unearth the essentials for smartphones (Paradise), the list is endless. A bit of nostalgia is cherished as well, like remembering getting in a tiff with the Old Bill (I Don’t Like Men In Uniform). And there is the touching tribute to second hand record stores, going through the racks to score a bunch of discounted albums (Markin' It Down).
They never sold out, but they understand the allure of doing so, like living on the fruits of having a hit a couple of decades ago (Punish The Young). Twentieth Century is, despite all the concerns that keep them awake at night, an upbeat album. With hooks galore and offhandedly sounding vocals, the message comes across in a very danceable way. Buy them a pint when they play one of those rock clubs that is still standing and thank them a night of good-natured music that digs deep.
Swansea Sound:
Hue Williams: vocals
Amelia Fletcher: vocals, keyboards
Ian Button: drums
Bob Collins: guitar
Rob Pursey: guitar, bass
Twentieth Century will be released via Skep Wax Records on September 8 (vinyl, CD, digital). It is available for pre-order here.
Tracks:- Paradise
- Seven In The Car
- Keep Your Head On
- Click It And Pay
- I Don’t Like Men In Uniform
- Twentieth Century
- I Made A Work Of Art
- Markin’ It Down
- Punish The Young
- Far Far Away
- Greatest Hits Radio
- Pack The Van
- 09/09 London, Rough Trade East (free)
- 09/14 Manchester, The Talleyrand
- 09/15 Cardiff, Moon Club
- 09/16 Carmarthen, Cwrw
- 09/17 Bristol, Rough Trade (free)
- 09/27 BBC6Music Riley/Coe studio session.
- 09/29 St Leonards, The Piper
- 09/30 Paris, Popfest
- 10/13 Leeds, Wharf Chambers
- 10/14 Newcastle-On-Tyne, Cumberland Arms
- 10/27 Brighton/Hove, The Brunswick
- 10/28 London, The Water Rats
HCTF review of Live At The Rum Puncheon.
Sounds like Swansea Sound are hitting their stride after a promising album last year. They manage to achieve the enviable feat of sounding twenty years younger than they actually are. Nice work!
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