Swallow/Neon Yellow Vinyl

Description

Steve Queralt is the bassist for the iconic English shoegaze band Ride, who have enjoyed a remarkable resurgence over the past decade. Recorded over an eight-year period, *Swallow* is his debut solo album, influenced by dark post-punk, post-rock and electronic pop, with guest vocals from Emma Anderson (Lush) and Verity Susman (Electrelane). Recommended for fans of M83, Mogwai or Joy Division. "Swallow" was slowly but surely constructed over the past five years, between Ride albums and tours, and, perhaps because of this, has a slightly dystopian, Blade Runner-esque atmosphere, reflecting the liminal spaces in which it was created. Despite the largely instrumental nature of the album, these dark and lunar soundtracks are full of power and emotion. When words do appear, an underlying anger and political direction emerge, further amplifying the album's dark intensity. This is particularly noticeable on the final track, "Motor Boats", where he inserts words from Julie Sheldon's polemical poem "The Same Boat" ("We're all in the same boat, they say, but I wouldn't agree"). According to Steve, these simple words of dissent "perfectly capture the reality of our time". However, it was the collaboration with the two guest vocalists that helped to bring everything together and pave the way for the final album.