Described in the press notes as “a collection of field notes exploring gratitude”, Clearwater Swimmers’ debut album shows a surprising and refreshing amount of maturity. It reaches into Neil Young‘s Crazy Horse files for ruminative, slow-motion riffs and the downbeat tunefulness of early R.E.M. You could even compare them favorably to more current artists like Andy Shauf or MJ Lenderman. But Clearwater Swimmers have arranged these influences so they’re undeniably doing their own thing without compromise.
Led by Maine native Sumner Bright, who wrote all the songs and formed the group – with guitarist Sander Casale, drummer Timothy Graff, and bass player Connor Kennedy – after moving to Queens, the songs on the self-titled debut arose from a stack of Bright’s acoustic demos, eventually given a full-band, occasionally booming makeover. The sound is timeless – one can hear echoes of grunge, college radio buzz, and the early pangs of Americana-tinged classic rock. The opener, “Valley”, rolls along like a less damaged track from Young’s Zuma. “Somewhere far above the light,” Bright sings, “There’s a ghost down by the stream / Beneath the big scar on the hill / Where the water used to bleed” as guitars slash all around him. The more clearheaded “River” follows along the same lines, with a twangier edge.
None of the tracks ever go faster than a mid-tempo gait, but the woodsy, twin-guitar vibe never seems to call out for any kind of caffeinated twitch. The quartet always shift their sound ever so slightly within their comforting framework. “Proud” lopes along with a slightly lighter touch, evoking traces of power pop. The stop/start riffs on “Firewood” give the song a somewhat anthemic feel, complete with soaring leads. The mournful country touches on the gentle, emotive single “Heaven’s a Bar”, giving the LP plenty of emotional gravitas.
While Bright and Casale’s guitars and amps help define the album’s sound—never more so than with the crunchy distortion on “Kites”, there are lovely moments when the music is beautifully serene. Complete with an intro of odd effects, the gorgeous “Weathervane” is a dialed-down version of the band, led by acoustic guitars and Graff employing clanky, rustic percussion.
The Clearwater Swimmers closes with “Radiant”, recorded solo by Bright at his home. With the sounds of the outdoors around him, he sings: “I feel the heat move / From recollection to sowing / Shapeless but thrumming / Plucked from the past / I scatter like glass / I hope returns to me.” In the quartet’s hands, the song would’ve still been brilliantly conceived, but it’s also elegant and effective as a lo-fi demo. As they’ve proven on their solid debut, Clearwater Swimmers are a band that click beautifully as a quartet but are also guided by songwriting of the highest order.