Swans - Birthing (May 30, 2025)

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   I had planned to make this topic tomorrow morning (my Pacific Daylight Time), but Swans latest offering already has been released in various time zones and many people already have received copies of it.  I have not heard it yet other than the "I Am a Tower" release for it three months ago, and live versions of some music that will be on Birthing.

It was my most anticipated album of the year, how do people here feel about the album?

I'm listening to the album now streaming by Swans. I expect to purchase this later. It's giving me Swans Are Dead meets The Glowing Man and Soundtracks of the Blind and The Beggar vibes.  Healer is great, love the track Birthing and others.  Still listening… I expect this to be my album of the year.

EDIT: That embedded playlist from Swans works perfectly on my laptop but not on my iPhone's Safari (if there are other issues it may be regional).

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kQCwRJ3xicednM9lUoxrmvsyq5GjFBhyg

EDIT: It's now up on bandcamp: https://swans.bandcamp.com/album/birthing

Edited by Logan - Yesterday at 08:43

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Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 38683	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Swans - Birthing (May 30, 2025) Posted: May 29 2025 at 21:39
	I had planned to make this topic tomorrow morning (my Pacific Daylight Time), but Swans latest offering already has been released in various time zones and many people already have received copies of it. I have not heard it yet other than the "I Am a Tower" release for it three months ago, and live versions of some music that will be on Birthing. It was my most anticipated album of the year, how do people here feel about the album? I'm listening to the album now streaming by Swans. I expect to purchase this later. It's giving me Swans Are Dead meets The Glowing Man and Soundtracks of the Blind and The Beggar vibes. Healer is great, love the track Birthing and others. Still listening… I expect this to be my album of the year. EDIT: That embedded playlist from Swans works perfectly on my laptop but not on my iPhone's Safari (if there are other issues it may be regional). https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kQCwRJ3xicednM9lUoxrmvsyq5GjFBhyg EDIT: It's now up on bandcamp: https://swans.bandcamp.com/album/birthing Edited by Logan - Yesterday at 08:43
	Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.

MikeEnRegalia Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 22 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 21806	Post Options Post Reply Quote MikeEnRegalia Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 03:56
	This is a rough release - tracklists are somewhat inconsistent between the platforms, it's not on Bandcamp yet, and some videos were pulled. There's still the official video from three months ago: And the release is available through Spotify. Edited by MikeEnRegalia - Yesterday at 03:57
	Release Polls Listened to:

Saperlipopette! Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: December 20 2010 Location: Tomorrowland Status: Offline Points: 12970	Post Options Post Reply Quote Saperlipopette! Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 06:38
	I'm gonna give it a listen as soon as my headache is gone:)

Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 38683	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 07:57
	^ Not the best music if you have a headache. ^^ That youtube playlist I shared does not sound rough to me and seems complete with songs. It may be a regional thing. I did add the direct link to the playlist as I have to enable desktop mode for iPhone Safari to see the full playlist. Here is the spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/album/3Yz6MpVM993PWHOEQLCXh5
	Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.

Error Code 864G Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: March 11 2023 Location: Arkansas, USA Status: Offline Points: 269	Post Options Post Reply Quote Error Code 864G Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 08:27
	I had no idea it had already released until I saw this post, but its fantastic!
	A Human Being, Existing.

Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 38683	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 08:38
	^ I'm on my second full listen and I agree. And it's gone to my top of the year. My top five albums for now for 2025, by the way, are: Swans - Birthing Stereolab - Instant Holograms on Metal Film BRUIT ≤ - The Age of Ephemerality Hesse Kassel - La Brea Squid - Cowards Edited the first post to add this, but Birthing is now on bandcamp: https://swans.bandcamp.com/album/birthing It definitely was my most anticipated album of this year. Edited by Logan - Yesterday at 08:45
	Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.

Nogbad_The_Bad Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team Joined: March 16 2007 Location: Boston Status: Offline Points: 21597	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 08:58
	Will probably buy the Swans
	Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/

Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 38683	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 09:22
	I plan to get the vinyl version. We have some very good record stores in Vancouver (some of my old friends own one of the best) and I hope to get this straight from the record shop (but then I might have to order it in through them). I still prefer bricks and mortar shopping to online... And I love being in record stores and book stores (love going to book stores although I don't read print as much as I used to). Edited by Logan - Yesterday at 09:28
	Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.

Error Code 864G Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: March 11 2023 Location: Arkansas, USA Status: Offline Points: 269	Post Options Post Reply Quote Error Code 864G Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 09:31
	^ Unfortunately, I'll have to order it online as there are no record stores anywhere near me.
	A Human Being, Existing.

Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 38683	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 10:26
	^ While I like to support artists, I don't buy as much physical product as I once did, and often just stream. Of course, like Swans, it is common for bands/artists to make their music freely available through streaming services. It's the limited edition Swans releases/merch I most want to own. It's nice too if one can support artists going to concerts, but that can be jolly expensive (especially with additional charges like Ticketmaster), and of course it can be hard to see what you like depending on where you live. I live south-east of Vancouver now and I don't get to those places much because the commute can be a pain, but I want to get out more to places like those record stores. I went to one record store some months back, and they were playing the OK Computer by Radiohead. I felt quite at home. I am lucky to have Vancouver as close as it is, and I can get to Seattle in about two and a half hours, which is a darned fine city for music and other things.
	Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.

MikeEnRegalia Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 22 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 21806	Post Options Post Reply Quote MikeEnRegalia Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 12:36
	^ The really odd thing about tracklists here is the "(Rope) Away" track. On streaming platforms it is one track, but on the CD it is split into two tracks ("Rope" and "Away", obviously). This is causing nightmares for database designers
	Release Polls Listened to:

Saperlipopette! Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: December 20 2010 Location: Tomorrowland Status: Offline Points: 12970	Post Options Post Reply Quote Saperlipopette! Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 13:00
	^^ Vancouver sounds nice. I've always thought that anyway. I've ended up buying 80-90% of my LP's at record fairs. I love them. For one I feel at home surrounded by music lovers - both among the sellers and buyers. Great vibes all around. It's the only spaces I know of where prices seem mostly fair (haha) - and I sometimes do genuine bargains as well. At record stores where I live, the starting price is around 25-30 Euros - but mostly higher. I also hate all these triple deluxe or whatever versions of classic albums. I just want the glorious 26 minute long original Ascenseur pour l'échafaud for twentysomething euros (I eventually found a lovely version, with excellent bonus meterial one a single album), not a mono/stereo/studio run trough/alternate take vinyl box for ninety minutes and 70 Euros. No more going into a record store and taking a chance on an LP that looks interesting. Like I used to do all the time. I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I guess I just miss the days when I could buy Prog and all kinds of weird stuff, often for one or two, and rarely over ten euros:)

Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 38683	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 hours 60 minutes ago at 17:23
	^ Vancouver can be very nice (very expensive in some ways, such as real estate, like many places). I went to an art market not long ago with lots of records. I'd love to visit Scandinavia (quite a few relatives there). Such a shame I lost my EU citizenship, had hoped to move to Europe. Edited by Logan - 21 hours 58 minutes ago at 17:25
	Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.

richardh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 30258	Post Options Post Reply Quote richardh Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 hours 20 minutes ago at 03:03
	All 1 hour and 55 minutes of it are on Apple music. I listened to it Friday and based on that listen I'm not sure what I feel. It seems to be a mixture of Krautrock and Post-rock in style and nothing is a 'deal breaker' ie I don't hate the vocals. It absolutely sounds great production wise but nearly 2 hours of music is quite a commitment to make for any new album when I already have over 30 albums this year (mostly streamed not owned) that I like a lot as it is. However I would rather give this more attention than stuff like Squid which is more 'alternative' than prog in my view.

Logan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 38683	Post Options Post Reply Quote Logan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 hours 17 minutes ago at 05:06
	^ Sure can be daunting, methinks, and not the easiest of Swans albums to digest or really integrate methinks, especially of course if one is not already big on Swans and related music. That mix of Krautrock and Post-Rock is something Swans/Gira has been doing (worked really well for me on The Glowing Man -- I love that album). And Krautrock has had a significant impact on post-rock. I know I really like Birthing, and it may just be my brain, but not only is two hours of music a commitment, I would need various spins over time to really absorb the music. I have listened two and a half times in full, and it needs more time and spins to properly sink in. I'm happy to give it time to breath. I have been trying my hand at reviewing recently, mostly with the Japanese band Fishmans, and I would like to review Birthing, but not sure how many spins and how much time it would need for me to feel comfortable reviewing it. And maybe I should try my hand at reviewing some other Swans albums first like, say, The Great Annihilator and Soundtracks for the Blind which I have listened to so, so many times.
	Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me.