Swayzak – Some Other Country

On their final album (as a duo, at least), Swayzak travel to SOME OTHER COUNTRY and bring back some lovely electronic music. Gone are the more poppy elements; moody seems to be the order of the day here. Cassy offers her vocals to the darkly thundering "Quiet Life," which holds a glimmer of melody amidst a sonic fog, while "Smile and Receive" hovers on its melancholy. "So Cheap" takes a spare, almost minimalist approach, bringing in different harmonic elements to accompany the steady beat. But "No Sad Goodbyes" is emerge fully-formed, like a heartbreak you can dance to, albeit sadly, and the deep tones reach into "Distress And Calling." And even if "Claktronic" starts seemingly randomly, with children burbling and some odd woodwinds, but it soon clarifies, whereas the thick "Silent Luv" maintains an intriguing density. The delicacy at the start of "Pukka Bumbles" offers a nice contrast, but even it finds a solid groove. "By The Rub Of Love" is much more straightforward techno with some juicy deep dub effects, and "They Return" takes the dub to its natural reclining space before bursting forth 2/3rd of the way through. So while the original Swayzak may never be returning from some other country, it's a place you'll continue visiting for a long time to come.