I didn’t know exactly what to expect when it came to Arizona-based Celtic punk rockers Swainn, also semi-formerly known as Cockswain, but my hesitations regarding Irish-influenced rock mostly lay within the dormant brain cells from college attached to dorm room posters of The Boondock Saints, a movie that, I promise you, has all but aged well.
Tying such a storied musical genre full of rich histories and epic backgrounds to a bout of college embarrassment is a chip on my shoulder that I have to bear, for better or for worse, but as soon as Swainn’s most recent album Under a Willow Tree began, I was positively knocked on my, err, arse. Here’s a band who knows the strengths of the genre and sound as much as they know the strengths of themselves, and the swagger on display within their third musical outing is something most bands spend entire careers trying to get. Swainn put me in my place and demolished all notions I had without ever missing a beat.
URL: https://www.cockswainband.com/
Under a Willow Tree isn’t an album that I would typically come across but I haven’t been able to get the songs out of my head since hearing it. The band undeniably has a knack for crafting infectious melodies, with songs like “Let’s Get Loose” and “Fairwinds” feeling almost cinematic in their overall compositional structure. There’s a storytelling technique present in just about every song, too which complements the gorgeously illustrated yellow and black cover art that almost comes across as the cover to one of those Golden Books — it piques the interest of even the most passive passerby, and will surely bring some new ears to the band’s fanbase.
Other album standouts come with “Up on the Mountain,” a plucky, anarchic call to action (and where the album draws its name from), and the album’s closer, the aptly titled “Another Drinking Song.” The finale of Under a Willow Tree serves as a near-gluttonous send-off for Swainn, with the chorus remarking “Let’s drink to be drunk, let’s drink to forget, before the night is done, another drinking song.” The tidy ending track frames the ten songs that preceded it as an uproarious night of drinking, partying, and whiskey-fueled introspection and giving UAWT the closing piece that it has raises an already fantastic album even further.
LINK TREE: https://lnk.to/underawillowtree
There’s not a song or line out of place from Swainn this time around the Willow Tree, and the springboard that Under a Willow Tree will serve as for future projects is certainly enticing. Fans will have a blast with this release and it’s clear that Swainn is having just as much fun as we are, if not more. The live show approach of Swainn’s entire repertoire is something to keep in mind when listening to these songs, and they even incorporate audio of crowds into the album to give UAWT that live-show texture the band is known for. It’s safe to say that Swainn has made a Celtic punk rocker out of me and has checked my privilege and taste at the door. I’m grateful that this album was able to teach this old critic a thing or two, and can’t wait to see what Swainn has in store next.
Rachel Townsend