Label: Self-released
‘Making Sense Of It All’ is the debut EP from Edinburgh outfit Swim School and it is a beast. The confidence pouring from the speakers when you hit play is far greater than a band’s debut should dare to be. With a sound that could be likened to bands such as Dream Wife and Wolf Alice, Swim School also manage to pepper it with the sort of pop savvy of bands like Pale Waves. The opening verse of first track ‘Let Me Inside Your Head’ is a brooding piece of electronic drums and withheld guitar. When the band all come in at once though it becomes a pounding slice of dark wave that you can feel in your chest. When the chorus hits after that, Swim School somehow manage to make their sound even bigger and it feels like a train hitting you.
‘Everything You Wanted’ starts innocently enough with muted drums, ethereal sounds and Alice Johnson’s gorgeous vocals. Before long, the rest of the band smash in as well to create what has to be quite a special live moment. ‘See Red’ is another slice of thumping dream pop with one toe dipping in to dark wave. ‘Anyway and Outside’ round out ‘Making Sense Of It All’ with their confident, heavy dream pop that you can’t help but pay attention to.
As a debut EP, Swim School have come out of the gates swinging. Each member of the band help to form a unit that has the confidence, swagger and songwriting of bands that have been doing this for a lot longer. I would say keep your eyes out for this band but with a beginning as strong as this, they’re going to give you no choice.
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