“Overtryer” by Aggressive Swans – A Song Feature

     Listening to “Overtryer” the first few times, the word “contrast” frequently came to mind as a defining characteristic of the single from Aggressive Swans, a Munich-based duo. Not surprisingly, the band explains that contrast plays an important role in effectively conveying the song’s lyrical depth and sensibilities.
 
     Both the vocal approaches and the tempos are powerfully different in a comparison of the first verse against the chorus, which begins around 1:11. In the verse, the falsetto vocals evoke a Radiohead-like quality, delivered with an unhurried pace that contrasts against drumming marked by high-yet-controlled intensity.  Prior to reaching the chorus, the vocals drop to an octave that is more accessible for vocalists who lack the vocal range of Aggressive Swans. But the tempo doesn’t accelerate until the chorus, when the focus shifts from the message to the emotion. Quoting the band, “We wanted strong contrasts between the intimate moments to fit the introspective nature of the lyrics.”
 
     The instrumentation is also shifted. Until the chorus, drums control the instrumental support. In comparison, the drums remain strong during the chorus, but guitar holds the spotlight.
 
      More than two minutes into “Overtryer,” the falsetto delivery returns and the sequence is repeated. But the compositional expertise of Aggressive Swans hasn’t been yet fully revealed. Around 3:18, the song is momentarily relaxed, but soon crescendos into a fierce ending.
 
     The members of Aggressive Swan are Janko Rašeta (guitars, production) and Matija Chlupacek (vocals, bass). Additionally, the credits of “Overtryer” identify Leander Widmoser as the drummer. The band’s bio is interesting:
  “Two-piece alternative Rock band based in Munich, Germany. Classically educated musicians Janko Raseta and Matija Chlupacek write music without compromises. Sound of Pop and Rock, at times infused with the spirit of the 80’s, is the outcome. Expect defined riffs, expressive vocals, and improvised psychedelic constructs.”
 
     “Overtryer” by Aggressive Swans

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aggressiveswans/
Website: https://aggressiveswans.com/
Bandcamp: https://aggressiveswans.bandcamp.com/

“The Divide” by James Ollier – A Song Feature

 

     James Ollier explains “The Divide” as a song about being “stuck between two choices.” The song allows the listener to personalize the internal battle of reaching a decision, since the lyrics barely allude to the subject matter of the choices (the lyrics are included at the bottom of this post). Still, the intensity profile and the lyrics clearly communicate the weightiness of the decision.
 
  For almost three minutes, “The Divide” has a stepped-intensity profile that effectively builds upon a sense of urgency. Among the steps, the most significant is delivered by the percussion shortly before the 90 second mark. The drumming elevates the importance of rhythm in driving the song forwardly. Later, the force of “The Divide” does subside, but only briefly, until the song crescendos to its conclusion.
 
     The first and the final verses reveal the difficulty, the importance, and the uncertainty of deciding between the choices. The track begins “It was war // A division of thoughts.” And it ends by acknowledging that even after making a selection, there won’t be an assuredness that it is the better choice:
Don't waste time
Caught, stuck on which one’s right
Caught in the divide
I'll never be sure
 
     “The Divide” is the second release from an upcoming EP “For a Moment or a While.” The EP is scheduled to drop in 2025. James Ollier is a British vocalist-songwriter, who draws inspiration for his songs from his many travels. James writes about his journeys, portraying through his songs a sense of movement and wanderlust.
 
     “The Divide” by James Ollier

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesOllierMusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/james_ollier/
Streaming “The Divide:” https://ffm.to/a2ab8w0
 
Lyrics of “The Divide” by James Ollier
It was war
A division of thoughts
I said I didn't care
You know I cared
 
I've been caught
Following a drift course
I said I didn’t care
I've always cared
 
And I'm fine
I just know it’s not true
I made a choice, Babe
I made it true
 
I'm fine I'm
Just looking at you
It’s not my truth, Babe
It’s not my
Truth
 
It was war
I know it’s hard
Do you really wanna go like that?
Or back to the start?
 
I've been caught
Should I be more
I said I didn't care
But I've always cared
 
And I'm fine
I just know it’s not true
I made a choice, Babe
I made it true
 
I'm fine I'm
Just looking at you
It’s not my truth, Babe
It’s not my truth
 
Don't waste time
Don't you wanna roll the dice?
I've been caught in the divide
I'll never be sure
 
Don't waste time
Caught, stuck on which one’s right
Caught in the divide
I'll never be sure

“Dance With Me” by Sam Himself – A Song Feature

 

     The song opens with contributions that are individually non-complex, yet collectively powerful. A synth playing a repeating four-note sequence is soon joined by gentle acoustic guitar and baritone vocals with a relaxing gravelly quality. And the first line of the lyrics is an uninsightful, everyday question – “So, who’s making coffee?”. The start is simple but attention-gripping, baiting the listener with expectations for even more. The “more” arrives 23 hypnotic seconds into “Dance With Me,” when percussion and an electric guitar enter without disrupting the intimacy of the song from Sam Himself.

     Still, the full beauty of the song isn’t revealed until the lead vocals are joined by more melodically smooth backing vocals at 0:44. The contrast is striking. The female vocalist is Boshra AlSaadi, who is from Damascus, Syria, but currently resides in New York. And the full splendor of Dance With Me” isn’t appreciated until the final minute, when the song crescendos to an energizing summit, then drops to a conclusion that is instrumentally calm and lyrically telling - “Dance with me / Nothing’s ever worth fighting for / In the end”.
 
     Sam Himself is the musical project of Samuel Koechlin. He was born in Switzerland. But “Dance With Me” was recorded at Outlier Inn Studios in New York’s Catskill Mountains. In addition to identifying Boshra AlSaadi as female backing vocalist, the song’s credits note that Josh Werner contributes bass. Sam Himself is preparing to release the album “Moonsongs,” which will include “Dance With Me.” The album is scheduled to drop in Spring of 2025 (produced by Daniel Schlett (Iggy Pop, The War on Drugs) and mastered by Greg Calbi (Bruce Springsteen, Iggy Pop)).
 
     “Dance With Me” by Sam Himself

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samhimselfmusic/
Website: https://www.samhimself.com/
Streaming opportunities: https://ffm.to/DanceWithSam

Lyrics of “Dance With Me” by Sam Himself
So, who’s making coffee?
Been lying here awhile
Too late for whiskey
It might be time
 
It might be time
 
So dance with me
Like there’s nothing worth fighting for
Dance with me
Like it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right
It’s all right now don’t think twice
 
Cards on the nightstand
Your head or mine
I’ll cry like an orphan for you
Smile like a knife
 
The worst of us got the best of us
Now the best we got ain’t good enough
It might be time
 
So dance with me
Like we never danced before
Dance with me
Dance with me all the way to the door
 
Dance with me
Love makes losers of us all
Dance with me
Like it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right
It’s all right now don’t think twice
Like it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right
It’s all right now don’t think twice
 
Dance with me
Nothing’s ever worth fighting for
In the end