Astral Swans is the brainchild of Canadian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Swann. His sophomore album Strange Prison is about fears, flaws and vulnerabilities, both real and imaginary. Swann can describe the predicaments of the passengers stuck in a plane going down without resorting to screams, depicting the horror in concise words.. Arson gets the same treatment in The Kids Came By And Burned Down The Scene. He is a reporter in the midst of turmoil, who focuses on the story, zooming in on harrowing details.
By using psychedelic electronics and dissonants Swann builds the walls of his own refuge - the proverbial prison serving as a means to get away from the outside world, creating his own universe with its own fair share of monsters. Backed by Dillon Whitfield (bass, guitar, background vocals), Sarah Beth (keyboards, background vocals) and three drummers (Brock Geiger, Distance Bullock, and Joe Ramirez) Matthew Swann invites the listener to take a trip through his multi-faceted folkie dreamscapes. This album is the missing link between Nick Drake and the mellower music of Beck.
Strange Prison is released on Saved by Vinyl (North America), Moorworks (Japan), and Tiny Room Records (Europe) (vinyl, digital).
Tracks:- Blow Away
- Controls
- What Are You Gonna Do With Yourself
- Prison Builder
- General Rule
- The Kids Came By And Burned Down The Scene
- Strange Prison
- Free Yourself From All Harm
- I Belong
- Excess
- Sew Their Mouths
- I Wanna See Something Burn
- End Song