There has been a big revival trend in music today of two man bands creating full sounding songs. Technology has helped some of these bands sound as if there are five members involved as they overdub and add tons of effects to create a full soundscape. The band I discovered today is just two guys but they are happy to keep it simple and it has created some interesting tunes. Welcome to The Unswept.
The band is made up of two cousins that grew up in the same council estate in Sheffield, UK. Charlie O’Brien handles guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals while cousin Ryan O’Brien sings and plays guitar and drums. After their first band with a few mates from University fell apart, they up and moved to the United States. They are now settled in a tiny apartment in Chicago, Illinois where they write and record their own style of lo-fi indie rock.
Now The Unswept is preparing to share their music with the rest of the world with the new Surf Song EP. We were able to get a sneak preview before its official release today February 5th. It opens with the title track ‘Surf Song 89’, a mellow track with a monotone vocal that seeps its way into your brain with some keyboard tickling. The EP then moves to the happy jangle of ‘She’s So Cool’. I found my head bobbing to the beat and liking the lyrics. Nice peppy little song. The closer ‘Get Away’ is a psychedelic track that brought me back in time. Deeply reverbed vocals with a lot of interesting noises creating a full soundscape.
Bottom line: The Unswept’s Surf Song EP is a quick fun listen that will leave you yearning for more from this innovative twosome. Go take a listen for yourself at:
http://theunswept.com