Great Lake Swimmers' Zero In
The City (Feb’15) is a mood maker. A
melancholy mood maker. The underlying drum beat and plucked
guitar strings move along at a fair clip like winter wind blowing through city
blocks. But it’s the despairing vocals, the lyric and the surging violins that
create the malancholy milieu of this tune.
A desperate milieu in fact. A vision of emotional desolation. A man alone in a diner staring out on empty snow covered streets in early morning hours. A heartbroken man. The countdown of the temperature is unnerving.
It creates an internal tension to the song. A slow slide into tragedy. Something is being lost in
every passing moment. There is no way this is one of the best indie songs of
2015. Yet it is.
“Minus
one, split and it’s done
Getting
up every day
Minus
one in every way”
Great Lake Swimmers are an indie folk rock band from Toronto, Canada. They have been inspiring wonder since 2003. Zero In The City is the first single off their sixth album A Forest of Arms (April’15).
Shit you need to know:
The singer Tony Dekker said of Zero In The City, “It takes a reading of internal and external weathers, and lands somewhere in the place where those psychic and physical landscapes overlap.”
The bands press says Zero In The City has “ …a surging rhythm section, razor sharp violin, and flourishing banjo and guitars…”
Of the new album the band say it resonates with many themes but particularly the beauty of the natural world and they feel this album has some of their most dynamic songs ever.
The new album was mixed by Howie Beck known for his work with Canadian indie pop artist Feist.
Of the new album this site opined it was emblematic of “…one of Canada's very best roots-based bands” while another thought it “seems dated.”
The band have been compared to Neil Young's acoustic work, Sufjan Stevens and Nick Drake.
The singer said his main influences are Hank Williams and Gram Parsons. He also mentioned he loves Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.
Their singer and songwriter Tony Dekker is a big tree hugger. He helps out the World Wildlife Fund and other goodly environmental activities including going to Antarctica.
Great Lake Swimmers do a haunting cover version of Neil Diamonds Song Sung Blue. Well worth the time of day.
More superb Great Lake Swimmers tunes to make you realise the world is a wonderful place are Easy Come, Easy Go, just stop right there, that tune is gold, Great Lake Swimmer's apogee, a folk rock Wild Thing with meaningful lyrics. And of course Pulling On A Line.
“I'm looking for an angel
Found a bird of a different breed, yeah”
Found a bird of a different breed, yeah”
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