The Beggar (studio album) by Swans

Swans' 2019 record 'Leaving Meaning', which followed a short hiatus and line-up change, might have individually stood out as a fairly strong piece of work, but I found it quite hard to see where it fitted in among their wider body of work. A return to a folkier sound did yield some results, 'It's Coming It's Real' stands out as one of their best tracks and the more cohesive atmosphere compared favourably with the stop-start feel of some of 'The Glowing Man'. On the other hand the 90 minute runtime felt a bit excessive and a few tracks didn't really feel that they came together, despite some early promise ('The Hanging Man' probably the worst offender here.

For 'The Beggar' Swans let the record run half an hour longer, but there's almost no points that drag. The sound of 'Leaving Meaning' has been refined towards a calmer post rock sound that can still build tension or move on the same level as a lot of Swans' great 2010s albums. It builds on the already strong vocal arrangements set out by its predecessor and allows them to sit in more expansive compositions. There's more clarity here in general, lyrics primarily focussed on coming to terms with one's own mortality dominate the record and make it probably the most lyrically cohesive of any Swans project. The ideas and sounds contained in each track are merged really well, even when the tempo or atmosphere changes between tracks they feel like consecutive chapters in a bigger work instead of an abrupt change of pace.

The highlight tracks are also just magnificent. 'Michael is Done' starts off intimate and direct before everything opens up as Swans once again use their talent of repeating a chord progression that you'd happily listen to forever. 'No More of This' and 'Ebbing' contain a beauty that we mostly only saw glimpses of over the past 15 years. Finally, 'The Beggar Lover' revives the gargantuan Swans track, actually running well over any recent studio recordings. It's the album's strongest artistic statement creating soundscapes and textures that are as awe inspiring as some of Swans' best works, whilst working in quite different spaces. The inclusion of the backing vocals from 'It's Coming It's Real' about halfway through show just how much these ideas have progressed over the past few years. Like 'The Seer' did 11 years before it 'The Beggar' instantly becomes a defining statement of a new era for a band so good at changing its sonic identity, we'll have to wait and see where it leads.

TBC...

Album Rating:

23.06.2023

Swans (US): The Beggar

1.Paradise Is Mine 79
2.The Beggar. 78
3.Los Angeles: City Of Death. 72
4.The Parasite. 79
5.The Memorious
6.Michael Is Done. 78
7.Why Can't I Have What I Want Anytime That I Want? 68
8.Unforming. 79
9.Ebbing. 76
10.No More Of This. 73

Despite being a little long in its overall running time for my own personal taste, ‘The Beggar’ provided a welcome transcendental experience for my journey between work and home :)

First listen thoughts:
The Beggar is a lot less "epic" than the likes of The Seer or To Be Kind, and I can tell it's going to be a slow-burn, but I did really enjoy it even on my first listen.
The Beggar Lover (Three) is the disjointed and manic centrepiece of the album, on Spotify anyway, as it's not listened on here, but it was by far my favourite track.