Swear and Shake – Extended Play

The 5-track EP, Extended Play, by Brooklyn based indie band Swear and Shake is a gem in the dust. There are so many musicians living in New York that it makes for a charming story when you stumble upon a band at a bar that hits you with such a pure sound. Seedy as this city can be, it has proven time after time to be a great backdrop for inspiration and young talent.

Extended Play is an album that pulls from the darkest corners of your heart. The place where you savor your true feelings for someone, the place you hide self-destructive tendencies. Whether it’s the smoke and honey sound of  Kate Spieler’s vocals, or the instrumental variations of Adam McHeffey (guitar/vocals), Tom Elefante (drums) and Shaun Savage (bass), Swear and Shake causes a stir from within.

The songwriting, done by both Spieler and McHeffey, strikes you with an urgency to share love and absorb its complications. Epitomizing pop infused with modern folk, Swear and Shake captures the instantaneous moment after goodbyes were you feel a strong need for that person back in your life.

The album begins with the song “Being in Time,” which is lead by Spieler and followed up well by Elefante on drums.  The song keeps your attention with waves of tempo and a soft but direct exploration of the sanity in falling..

In the song “Johnnie,” Spieler sings “Should you find your boots worn/ I will patch your soles/ if you swear you will walk with me.”  A warm melody with lyrics that would give strangers pause if tagged on abandoned walls or cracked sidewalks.

Louder songs and reversed roles on vocals by McHeffy, “The Promise” and “Truckstop Flower” break up what would be a predictable sequence to the album. Ending Extended Play with the track “Bones,” Swear and Shake provides their audience with a song that is nakedly honest. Spieler pleads “I said I’m sorry, I’m scared/ I can’t get this close to human.” A song of great distress, a heartfelt echo to what gets broken and replaced in time.

Although this band has already made an impression, I am interested to see what a  full-length album will present.

Swear and Shake - Extended Play, 4.5 out of 5 based on 2 ratings