'Where The Heaven Are We' - Lost excitement and expectations unfulfilled.

After the success and gleaming reviews of the Sound of 2013 nominees, Peace and their debut album 'In Love', our eyes turned to Birmingham's next prized export Swim Deep. Earlier this week Swim Deep unleashed their highly anticipated album 'Where The Heaven Are We' to a myriad of hungry fans, like myself. Now it must be said, Swim Deep originally failed to quench my musical thirst the first time I heard them but I gave them another chance, and after seeing them at Dot to Dot festival in Bristol this year and following that, Glastonbury,  I was engulfed in their distinctive, psychedelic dream-pop sound. However, after listening to their album from start to finish, I was left disaffected and somewhat disappointed. It's as though the live performances I saw in contrast to the material recorded on their debut album, are in distant worlds away from each other, unable to form those strong parallels that are so important for a band. For me, a band with great musical aptitude and talent can capture elements of that excitement of a live atmosphere into an album, then allow their material to bloom, flourish and evolve at their gigs. It would appear that unfortunately Swim Deep have failed to transcend this.

After the intriguing intro taken from 'She Changes The Weather', the album begins with 'Franisco' which fails to hit you hard in the chest quite like their anthem of youth and juvenescence 'King City' did when it was first released it. It's all rather wishy-washy, vaguely emotionally stimulating, largely uninteresting pop with undertones of soft grunge. Then the third and most memorable track 'King City' has the redeeming qualities and hard hitting melodies to regain your lost attention but it seems as if the rest of the album from this point on is trying too hard to play follow the leader, trying to find that magic ingredient which was invested in 'King City' and no other track on the album really stands up to it as a contender. One of the most distinctly notable moments of their live performance at Dot to Dot festival for me was 'Red Lips I know' with it's hypnotic intro into a whirl pool of infectious psychedelia and the bass sending tremors right through you, yet on record along with most of the other tracks it's diminished into mediocracy and fundamentally a very 'play safe' sort of album. 'Mediocracy' being a word that I associate with Bastille may I add... Okay, calling it mediocre may be a step too far, it's a good album but it's not great or groundbreaking. It doesn't have the lasting impact Peace's album 'In Love' had with every track on that album staying far away from the fear of a dodgy album track that will eventually be forgotten about. 

In terms of the long anticipation and wait for the album, eleven tracks of which four tracks have already been released as singles to be consumed by fans, isn't quite fulfilling those high expectations that have been cemented for months and months into the highly excitable minds of music lovers. It just doesn't hit you hard enough, quick enough. The competency for Austin Williams and co to write something great is definitely there, they have the ability, but it would appear that this first album may be their most difficult. 'Where The Heaven Are We' ends on a positive note with 'She Changes The Weather' which definitely reinforces the idea that Swim Deep have the capacity to create a proud representation of  the music scene of our current generation, something to generate nostalgia and sentimentality but there are too many moments on this album where this is lost. However I would advise anyone and everyone to take up the opportunity to see them live as they are definitely worth seeing, and the lost excitement and hysteria that didn't transcend it's way on to the album, finds it's way again on the unpredictable wayward path of their live performances. But who knows, maybe history will repeat itself and their album will grow on me just like 'Honey' did.

For now, let's try and capture the optimism enshrined in the core of Swim Deep's band manifesto and leave on a positive note with a live clip of  'King City'.