Swilly, a half Canadian half American rock band, present their new single “I Love You” which works to a stellar dramatic effect when the song gives way to furious guitar thrashing. While everything here charges maniacally and furiously, this record feels like the work of a very confident, tour-hardened veteran rock act.
The band seems to be a little weirder and unique than most of their peers; one gets the sense, from their warped production, that both the recording equipment and the members have spent a little too much time in the sun. It reveals an interesting performance of the record that seems to say, if you can hang with us through this, you’re cool for the rest of the ride.
Made up of Frontman Steven Williams (singer/songwriter), Kevin Campbell (lead & rhythm guitars), Carl Holz (drums) and Tammy Throneberry (lyrics), the band gives itself plenty of room for fractured guitar bashing, allowing the song’s insistent pulse to take over, and the throbbing groove to carry it along with hypnotic effect even when the melody drifts off into the ether.
The group’s heavy-with-hooks formula is brazenly conformed to but nevertheless provides massively appreciable moments – especially in the harmonious interplay between the vocals and lead work. It shows some mildly interesting skill, the song being self-indulgent in tone and the riffs often ditching sweet-sounding flourishes for a much blunter attack that could sometimes be described as ‘Slayer-esque’.
“I Love You” gives listeners a chance to stretch their legs and explore their aural cosmos, the song reveals that Swilly can write simple but unforgettable catchy tunes when the mood strikes them, and the notion must have occurred again when they made this record. Like the title suggests, “I Love You” is gooey but curiously inviting stuff, and sinking into it might not be the most productive way to pass time, but it’s a genuinely pleasurable summer-tune experience.
