Review: Whirr - Sway
By Megan Fair, Copy Chief
[Graveface, 2014]
Rating: 5.5/10
Key Tracks: “Dry,” “Clear”
Whirr is the loudest band ever; loud in the sense that its amps are cranked up for every live show, and loud in the sense that its Internet presence is hard to ignore. With a band so easy to notice, it’s difficult to imagine that its new music would be anything besides bigger, badder and more engaging than ever.
Sway is not Whirr’s first rodeo and other releases have shown growth and change within the outfit’s style. The Pipe Dreams to Distressor transition showed Whirr pulling back on the higher end twinkle and focusing in on a tougher sludge, using the twinkle as an accent to emotive swells.
But Sway lacks almost all the shimmer. The album drones, its shoegaze ooze smothering everything and drowning the listener in a dark, sludgy music goo. Sway is the audible form of a coma. That’s not necessarily as bad as it sounds, as that’s kind of the whole point of the shoegaze genre to begin with. It’s a cool, consuming experience for the first few tracks, but by the 8th song it feels stale.
That’s not to say the album is without merit; it’s certainly not a bad record. There are tracks that stand out amongst the gray and stormy seas of Sway such as “Dry” and “Clear,” two back-to-back bangers that explain why Whirr has received so much attention in the first place.
“Dry” enters with a pretty riff and the swell into a loudly distorted intro is a perfect way to submerge the listener in the sleepy, smooth layers of noise. Juxtaposing the sweet, quiet riff against the loud four pounding quarter notes of guitars, bass and drums allows for a dynamic missing on most of the record. “Dry” is a beautiful song, meant to be enjoyed alone with the volume all the way up in a dimly lit room. The lyrics, though very simplistic, only encourage this listening experience as they compare some sort of divorce to the feeling of being drowned.
After “Dry” submerges, “Clear” gently tugs the listener back to the surface, gasping for air. Although a longer tune, “Clear” is a perfect example of the shimmer that Whirr once so actively utilized. Its lengthy intro feels like the moments before emerging from the bottom of a shallow lake. Everything seems surreal but crisp and the music emulates that in its very haunting sound.
The lyrics certainly feel hit or miss, but they shine the brightest on the title track. “Sway” contains more than eight lines of lyrics(!) and, though they remain simple sentences like the rest of the album’s tracks, they tell a tale of loss and heartache. “I miss all your favorite things / I feel low but I know / You are worth the wait / I’m tired all the time / My sleep is missed on you,” and “I like the them of you and me / Swaying slowly / Let’s make time / Where we will be / Within each other’s reach / Swaying slowly.”
The prominent lyrics above the more intimate musicianship on Sway lends such a perfect effect, reminiscent of the quiet whispers of two lovers in bed in the early morning.
While Sway certainly has its downfalls, it does manage to remain interesting. It’s not bad but most tracks simply don’t go anywhere, which makes it difficult to label as great. Whirr’s musical boat may be swaying, but it’s certainly not rocking.
