Not just treading water in the shallow end.
The Clearwater Swimmers describe their self-titled debut album as “a collection of field notes exploring gratitude”. The collection is an indie rock, alternative folk affair with a heavy dose of slowcore. Lead singer and guitarist Sumner Bright wrote a stack of songs recorded on cassettes as one-take acoustic demos. Friends encouraged Bright to record them with a full band, and the Clearwater Swimmers dived straight in.
Recorded at Bradford Krieger’s Big Nice Studio in Providence, Rhode Island, the album was completed in just three days. The band had played a short tour across the northeast of America, and the tightness from playing the songs live gives the album a fresh feeling. The opener, ‘Valley,’ has a very southern rock vibe reminiscent of the Drive-By Truckers and early Isbell. The rest of the album continues similarly, with prominent chiming guitar throughout. Bright’s vocals are, for the most part, laid-back in the mix but not lost. The guitar opening to ‘River’ is a luscious treat as it lazily meanders towards the opening line, “Strangest river / where are you winding?”.
The single ‘Heaven’s A Bar’ has a drum intro that promises much and draws the listener in like the Drive-By Truckers ‘Danko/Manuel’. Bright sings, “Grown tired of sitting still, And cycling through your sleep, Smiling with just your teeth” over a sombre guitar. ‘Weathervane’ is a beautifully played guitar piece played over the sound of a spinning vane. The drums kick in as Bright sings, “I hear the wind,” giving the feeling that doors or gates are slamming back and forth in the rising cacophony surrounding the rain-sodden weathervane. It is a simple but effective fragment of poetry and music that even the most hardened should be moved by. ‘Kites’ has a reverb guitar intro that Ryan Adams would drool over and continues throughout the track.
‘Radiant’ completes the album. It’s the only song recorded away from the Rhode Island Studio and recorded by Bright at home in May 2023, complete with traffic and birdsong accompaniment. “I scatter like glass / I hope returns to me / I made you happy once.” It’s an incredible end to a robust collection.
The Clearwater Swimmers have mined from some of the best, added their style and delivery to a personal set of lyrics and arrangements. It’s well worth jumping in the water; clear water is ahead.
