With themes ranging from confinement, healing, and the longing for release, ‘I Fly With Swallows’ unique blend of shoegaze and folk is a dreamy getaway unlike any of its constituent elements. The duo, comprising of Doug MacGowan on acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, vocals and Emma Semple on vocals, viola, violin, bouzouki. After meeting while collaborating on other projects, the duo got together right before the first of the UK lockdowns. Their debut album evokes the feelings and effects of the pandemic, something that’s starkly evident from the themes it draws upon and discusses.
Sonically, ‘I Fly With Swallows’ is undeniably odd. At first glance, I’d be pressed to label the project a folk record. But the dreamy and rather ethereal shoegaze soundscapes that the duo conceptualise give it an almost haunting, slightly ominous feel. But it’s not an unsettling kind of ominous, it’s far more tranquil and serenading than you’d expect. On the specific concepts the album looks to bring out, the duo note: “Whilst not being specifically a ‘concept’ album, ‘I Fly With Swallows’ has a thematic through line both lyrically and sonically. The album musically hangs on a phalanx of gauzy, pedal-drenched electric guitars and densely layered vocals combined with acoustic and electronic instrumentation. The idea was to create a sense of huge sonic space juxtaposed with intimate song vignettes.“
Emma’s vocals are a particular highlight for me. She’s effortlessly subtle, exuding these soft airy floating melody. A song that sounds as innocuous as ‘I Could Drink Coffee’ becomes an immediate point to remember. It’s slow and languid, and Emma’s lackadaisical but measured delivery just lends to make it a perfect slow jam to unwind to. The soundscapes are so luscious, filled with a host of ambient and psychedelic bits and pieces that lend to the overall feel. On a track like ‘The Island’, they’re able to completely immerse you a a listener into their world.
I Fly With Swallows is definitely not a typical folk album. It’s an evolution, a near re-invention of the genre that experiments with a host of different soundscapes to create a strange but intriguing piece of psychedelic folk that’s bound to perk your interest.
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