Swim Deep - There's A Big Star Outside

Swim Deep have always been a band on the precipice of greatness, but with their fourth album, ‘There’s A Big Star Outside’, they’ve finally taken the leap. As frontman Austin Williams audaciously states, “This record sets us apart and proves that we’re one of the best bands in the country.” And you know what? He might just be onto something.

From the otherworldly opening strains of ‘How Many Love Songs Have Died In Vegas?’, it’s evident that Swim Deep have reached new altitudes. The track is a fragile, enchanting affair that establishes the mood for an album drenched in wistful melancholy and hard-fought optimism.

Collaborating with producer Bill Ryder-Jones appears to have been a stroke of genius, as his impact can be heard in the album’s opulent guitar textures and emotional intensity. Songs like ‘It’s Just Sun In Your Eyes’ demonstrate the band’s newly discovered capacity to improvise together in the studio, resulting in a sound that’s both genuine and elating.

Thematically, ‘There’s A Big Star Outside’ finds Swim Deep wrestling with substantial subjects of existence, mortality, and the apprehensions that accompany personal development. The arrival of Austin and bassist Cav McCarthy’s children during the album’s creation adds an extra layer of significance to the undertaking.

But despite the weighty subject matter, there’s a sense of optimism that suffuses the record. The opening track’s recurring refrain of “it gets better” feels like a pledge that the band intends to honor, and by the time we reach the enigmatic acoustics of closer ‘Fire Surrounds’, it’s hard not to feel a sense of release and rejuvenation.

‘There’s A Big Star Outside’ is the sound of a band that’s been through the grinder and emerged on the other side more robust, more sagacious, and more creatively powerful than ever. It’s an album that rewards repeated listens, unveiling new depths of emotion and sonic intricacy with each spin.

In a world that often feels uncertain and chaotic, Swim Deep have crafted a record that feels like a guiding light – a reminder that even in our gloomiest moments, there’s always the possibility of growth and transformation. If this is indeed the best music they’ve ever made, then the future looks positively radiant.