Swamp Baby
Albany, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
With "All Fours", Swamp Baby made good on the promise of a knotworking-Orange spin-off collaboration that has existed strictly on the stage these past couple years. Recorded in an old church, the disc injects droning electric guitars, hovering fiddle and spooky electronics into Nick Matulis’ ambient acoustic material. Haunting in the best sort of way.
- Metroland Magazine
The album is mainly folk but with a psychedelic influence, which melts with the various surrounding sounds and other musical elements. Particularly the second half of the album, with the bridging titles “Sin Pan Alley” and “Baby On Board the Luminous Vehicle”, with their atmospheric and subtle sound effects, are a wonderful journey. And precisely because of that I will listen to the album again now. (translated from the Dutch) - iAmericana
‘New Year’s Day”: Swamp Baby
We don’t know the words. We don’t care to. The dream state this song sends you to is glorious! It should make Iron and Wine wish he wrote it. Go get this one NOW! - Talk About the Passion
Swamp Baby are a new quartet that assembled for 48 hours last August to record the songs of master Baby, singer/guitarist Nick Matulis. Guitars, keys, and violin (but no bass!) yield a light and airy sound for Matulis’ downbeat, gloomy arrangements. “Seeing Stars” is whispered so delicately, it almost sounds like the sound left by shooting stars as they race across the skies to the delight of giddy lovers casting wishes below. Megan Hotter’s violin sneaks into the room unnoticed as Matulis begs his lover not to die in his arms, then tiptoes out – as fleeting and elegant as that aforementioned shooting star. Hotter’s mandolin also adds a downhome country vibe to the swinging “New Year’s Eve,” which could easily be mistaken for a lost Low track.
“Maine” and “Red Skies” are representative of the rest of the album, with their hazy, druggy, laidback groove reminiscent of David Crosby’s “If I Could Only Remember My Name,” with glistening guitars, sinewy violin, and soft vocals (supposedly, the album’s mellow vibe was necessary so as not to disturb the 12-step meeting held in the basement of the recording studio!) The latter even namechecks the Crosby masterpiece in it’s brief lyrics: “When I sail if you don’t remember my name, that’s OK.” An exciting new project definitely worth checking out when you’re in a chillout, heavylidded mood. It’s one of the best unsung releases to creep out of nowhere this year – don’t miss it. (9 out of 10) - Foxy Digitalis
Give me a piece of Noah and The Whale’s silent parts and the soft voice and sheer guitar playing of Einar Stray. Give me the nostalgia of The Waterboys and the honesty of Mutual Benefit. Stop thinking. This is a soundscape of floating, melodic silence, almost in liquid form. If you can’t feel it yet, you haven’t dived deep enough. Reach the bottom and let the landscape slowly build up around you.
Browsing Bandcamp with no particular genres in mind is indeed a treasure haunt at an island the size of the red sea, you’ll never know what to find. Searching around the newest section can sometimes end in splendid, new discoveries, but also in tunes you’ve heard oh so many times before. This time I was lucky, I guess. NY-based Swamp Baby‘s sound is layered with stargazing melodies of such convenience and honesty it was for me, basically love at first listen. Despite the fact that the slowly uprising compositions seem clever and thoroughly considered, I also get the feeling that they’re thinking somewhat like “let’s play whatever seems right at this very moment and let it grow from there”. - No Fear of Pop
Discography
All Fours (album, 2010, Collar City Records)
"Seeing Stars" (2010, single off of All Fours, 56 hearts on HypeMachine.com, hit on last.fm)
forthcoming:
For Baby's Babies (2012, Collar City Records)
Photos
Bio
Swamp Baby is a band with deep roots in the independent music scene of NY State’s Capital Region. Longtime friends and collaborators, the four core members of Swamp Baby (two of whom are a married couple with a real baby of their own) have been playing together in this capacity since around 2007. Their debut album All Fours was released in April 2010, and their second release will be out in May of 2012 on Collar City Records.
They have shared acclaimed shows with the likes of Sharon Van Etten, The Parlor and Portland, Oregon's Horse Feathers.
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