With the return of gigs on the horizon, I know I’m not alone in eagerly anticipating the chance to see some amazing live acts again soon. In the electro swing world, whilst the genre is largely populated by DJs, many of the most prominent standout acts are those who make up a full live band, and one of the more significant of such acts is the Italian SwinGrowers. Having started life as a duo, the act quickly evolved into a five-piece, before scaling down slightly to become a quartet for their latest incarnation, and their latest release, Hybrid. Now based in the UK, and regularly releasing through Freshly Squeezed, SwinGrowers have something of a legacy throughout the scene, and expectations are always high. It is upon this reputation that they will be releasing this – their fourth album.
The intro track, ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ opens with lyrical references to ‘Butterfly’ off of their previous album Outsidein, and is quite a different tone to what we’re used to. The use of free time gives a very ambient feel, and the spoken word introduction presents a kind of mystical, mysterious quality. After launching into ‘Hybrid’ however, we’re initially straight back in with that familiar SwinGrowers sound. There’s a persistent counterpoint to the brass, emphasising everything else, and the interplay between the bass and vocals in the build up to the chorus sets a real mood of anticipation. When this hits, it’s not as big of a sound as some of their past releases, but this slightly restrained quality signals that this is much more than just a party track. ‘Follow the Stars’ features a very clear Caravan Palace influence. With its smooth vocals, soaring over the top of everything else, it’s equally spaced between being an upbeat dance number, and something more in the vein of classic songwriting – as shown by the half-tempo mid-section which demonstrates an almost Gershwin-esque jazz sound. And then, ‘Seven Million Faces’ is more downtempo, straddling all sorts of influences – with a hip hop beat, somewhat Britpop guitarwork, and a build up towards the end that’s almost Europop sounding. There are some really catchy vocal melodies in the chorus, which is also added to by the saxophone; and a very nice breakdown toward the end as well.
Next up is ‘Precipitiamo’, with some excellent harmonic choices, constantly dancing around the tonic but rarely settling. I love to hear different languages in electro swing – as we did with Deluxe’s En Confinement – and this Italian inclusion is a great addition. The synths and saxophone blend in a great way which just washes over you; and there’s even an unexpected hint of drum ’n’ bass towards the end, interspliced with some rock ’n’ roll guitar over the top of it all. Following, ‘Dreamland (Say Goodbye Bye Bye)’ features the sound of classic uptempo, big band jazz – with the brass foregrounding the belted vocals, and more brilliant guitarwork. Many original electro swing compositions strive to sound like something the pioneering bandleaders of the swing era could have come up with before being remixed – and SwinGrowers have achieved this here. And then ‘Wannabe’ comes in with its Charleston-esque influences; this is absolutely the tune that I want to hear once the bars are back open again. There’s a fair bit of playing with structural expectations here – keeping it interesting and going against the norm; and also a noticeably retrofuturistic sound – with its space-age bleeps and bloops.
This sound continues into ‘Invisible Army’ and the notion of retro doesn’t stop there either, as there’s a clear ’90s sound along with the more vintage aspects – through the use of R&B reminiscent of that particular style and era. Through this, there’s something of a hip hop element as well. As the piece progresses, all sorts of layers are gradually introduced throughout its duration, and plenty of points of interest are resultingly maintained. ‘I Don’t Know (How to Love)’ features more rock ’n’ roll, along with a clear funk influence too. I also welcome the lyrics, with some cheeky references to everyone’s favourite Duke Ellington number. Again, there’s more than a bit of a ’90s R&B influence, with the saxophone performance noticeably reminiscent of this era’s propensity for that instrument. And finally, the album end with more Charleston – through ‘Rose’. Elements of this track are clearly made to sound like they’ve been lifted directly from a vintage recording – and the extra effort is appreciated. ‘Rose’ has a solid beat, a little bit of gypsy jazz, and some more Caravan Palace inspiration – evident in the synths. Again, we also find some more unusual compositional choices, which really pay off in eluding some of our familiar expectations.
Hybrid is a fine addition to both the SwinGrowers, and the Freshly Squeezed catalogue. My one criticism is that there aren’t necessarily any of the standout tracks that we’ve heard in the past – think ‘Via Con Me’; ‘Butterfly’; ‘That’s Right!’. But overall, the album has no low points, and manages to maintain a consistent quality throughout. Acts like SwinGrowers manage to do the electro swing sound in exactly the way it’s done best, leaving the listener completely satisfied. In terms of sustaining one’s fondness for the style – you can’t get much better than this: it’s so inescapably electro swing. SwinGrowers are amongst the best of all the acts on Freshly Squeezed’s roster, and with releases like this, they can only expect to maintain that reputation.
Hybrid is available from 26/03/2021.
