THE SWALLOWS
The Beauty of Our Surroundings
Magnetic Angel
· Sophomore rock-out from former Blue Rodeo drummer Glenn Milchem.
An evocative snapshot of a talented songwriter, The Beauty of Our Surroundings is a roots rock charmer. Taking No Depression north of the border, Glenn Milchem veers from lush melancholy to brash unapologetic pop, backed ably by keys, drums and guitars. Ian Blurton takes the producer's seat, tones down his trademark multi-track fuzz and offers a crisp effort with refreshing depth. Despite the obvious fact that he stole his moves from the Rheostatics playbook, all can be forgiven with one listen to the stunning "Not To Be In Love." Milchen’s emotional wail is matched by soaring guitar, but self-indulgence is kept in check, making this release from The Swallows seem like the product of a band rather than a solo record, and a success from top to bottom.
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