Review: Swans — “It’s Coming It’s Real”
The legendary experimental rock band returns with a subdued yet beautiful single.
It’s been three years since we last heard from Swans, and what we last heard was… confusing, to say the least. During the early 2010s, they seemed a force to be reckoned with: albums like The Seer and To Be Kind saw the band developing a brand of rock music that boiled the genre down to its rawest, most repetitive, most skull-crushing, mind-expanding form. And oh boy did the music community ride that high — forums were set on fire, subreddits swarmed with praise, YouTube critics raved… at least until the band announced, simply and matter-of-factly, that The Glowing Man was the last release they would put out under their “current incarnation.”
Then, silence. Confused, disappointed, sad silence. “Incarnation”? What the heck did that mean? Did frontman Michael Gira finally hang up his hat? Were we seeing the end of this 40-year-long-joyride?
Well, it seemed to be the end at the time. But Gira isn’t known to be fond of silence.
“It’s Coming It’s Real” is an almost comedically fitting name for this track. The band is back: full throttle, all cylinders, no frills… and their new album? Oh, it’s real alright.
But Swans are taking their time, refraining from bombarding the listener from the get-go… “It’s Coming” opens in a reserved, almost sultry manner — first, the lone moans of synth pads (or perhaps slide guitar). Then, ambiance: some reverb-soaked plucking, choral background “oohs,” a drunk, shuffling drum rhythm straight out of a smoky jazz club.
Michael Gira then steps through the fog, heart in hand and starry eyed — “In the place where you lay, in the shimmer above/In the rust and the oil with your mouth full of mud.” As he takes us through several scenes and images — nature, fate, machinery, primitivity — the instrumental around him swells patiently, yet confidently. The background vocals become charged with kinetic energy, delicately urging the song forward — all the while the drums take on a marching, solemn rhythm, steadfastly following the tambourine’s downbeats.
By the last three minutes of the track, you can practically hear the energy emanating from Gira, you can practically see his arms raised to the sky, reaching for heaven as he croaks: “Rage on, helpless, reach out, sightless/Kneel down, fearless, rise up, righteous.”
As with many Swans songs, “It’s Coming” reaches a level of hypnosis that is borderline religious. But it approaches this sensation from a previously unheard angle. Where To Be Kind was physical, animalistic, where The Glowing Man was meditative, dizzying, “It’s Coming” displays a certain sensibility for beauty, for harmony, for ascension as opposed to apocalypse. Anna and Maria von Hausswolff’s vocals stand out in this respect — in contrasting Gira’s priest-like narration, the choral background provides harmonic coloring not unlike Philip Glass’s Koyaanisqatsi: equal parts dirge and hymn.
And the surprising upside of this change in sound? “It’s Coming It’s Real” makes for a fairly accessible Swans song. Considering the ghastly runtimes of their songs and the repetitiveness of their writing style, the nicheness of their appeal is not unexpected. But “It’s Coming” possesses a melodic sensibility that’s much less alienating, which is why I feel comfortable recommending it to most. If you’re looking to get into Swans, post-rock, or just interested in hearing something unique, definitely check the track out.
