A Swarm of the Sun - Zenith
Rating
RIYL
ToolNine Inch Nails
Red Sparowes
Release Date
08/30/2010
Label
Version StudioTracklist
1. Lifeline2. This One Has No Heart
3. Refuge
4. The Stand
5. Zenith
6. Repeater
7. The Worms are Out
8. Lifeproof Houses
9. I Fear the End
10. Reaper
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A Swarm of the Sun is a Swedish duo who composes atmospheric, moody post-rock songs with influences from indie rock and electronic music tossed in for good measure. The band released an EP back in 2007, with Zenith being the follow up to that effort and their first attempt at a full length, which is surprising considering the amount of depth this album has compared to earlier releases from similar acts. Listeners with patience who make it through the entire track list will be treated to a dark and dreary nearly hour-long journey that varies in quality but proves to be satisfying in the end.
Zenith starts out with “Lifeline,” an instrumental introduction that builds and then descends again, which is basically a microcosm for the entire album which follows a similar path. “This One Has No Heart” comes next and starts with a brooding drum beat and depressive piano playing that never falters and serves as the base for the entire song. The singing is reminiscent of Trent Reznor because of its soft, unemotional qualities and complements the music instead of being the focal point. This track builds for a few minutes until an eerie guitar melody kicks in and carries the song to its endpoint. A portion of the other songs work in a similar manner, where the music is constantly building to a more musically rich section, then dies off at the end.
Other tracks like “The Stand” and “Lifeproof Houses” stay on a straight path and provide a calming segue into the next song; these are some of the less interesting parts on the album, but they effectively add some dynamics so their presence is worthwhile. The title track, “Zenith,” marks the halfway point of the record, which is a brave spot because of its ten-minute length. This song aggressively builds for about five minutes and then completely dies off, only to be softly built up again into the ending. It’s an arrangement that works well for a lengthy song, making it enjoyable instead of painful to sit through. “The Worms Are Out” is the standout track in the second part of the album; its jolting start and overall aggressive tone is unlike anything seen in the rest of the songs and shows yet another side to an already diverse band.
Although Zenith is an overall successful album, A Swarm of the Sun tests the listener’s patience a few too many times and some people may be turned off by their writing style. Every song has its own feel but within each one, the music can get repetitive and progresses very slowly. This is one of those albums that could easily be a movie soundtrack and not everyone will appreciate the slow pace of it. The only other major downside to Zenith is that the tracks don’t transition fluidly. At the end of many of the songs, there is about 10-20 seconds of complete silence and since the majority of them start out slowly, it could be nearly a minute between each track where not much is happening. The drop off in sound takes listeners out of the moment and makes the record feel less cohesive. Grievances aside though, Zenith is one hell of a debut full length that was clearly crafted with care, and it deserves to be heard by anyone who likes post-rock or atmospheric music in general.
--Nicholas Fritz
Comments
Fishers, Indiana
I downloaded this on a whim with no idea what it sounded like. Kinda surprised to see it here, though the review has kind of turned me off from wanting to listen to it. haha
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Brooklyn, NY
this is pretty awesome, my interest is fully peaked. looking forward to hearing the entire album.
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Brooklyn, NY
just listened to the record, pretty awesome. Good review, but I would stress the band are FAR more post-rock than anything else.
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Minnesota
I was really surprised by this release. After my first listen I thought it was too plodding and didn't seem to go anywhere. After another listen or two, I got to appreciate it a little more and now think it's pretty great.
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Coopersburg, PA
Yeah, they are definitely mostly post-rock, which I probably should have mentioned, but I hear a lot of other influences in there as well. I'm glad people are digging this though, it deserves some attention.
PA
I really dug this. Good review too!
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