Rating
4.5

Combine alternative ‘90s music and The Killers, then imagine that magical mix thrown into the folk/electronic revolution that is going on right underneath pop music’s feet, and you get The Swimmers. This unknown wonder recently released its new album, People are Soft. With light-hearted melancholy, The Swimmers eloquently use a synthesizer to add an interesting sound to go behind the lovely vocals and lyrics.

People are Soft begins with a tap-your-toe tune called “Shelter,” which keeps listeners interested with the sheer amount of sound the band uses to back up the vocals, not to mention the vocals themselves. Simple harmonies filter through the instruments to grab attention when they become important, before fading back to allow another riff to take the spotlight.

This delicate balance of sound continues throughout the album.

In the album’s next track, “A Hundred Hearts,” lyrics take center stage. Filled with symbolism about how hearts are broken and people are destroyed, this song makes anyone want to dance and sit to contemplate life at the same time.

Every once in a while, the album seems to run out of steam and fade down into mediocrity.  However, right when that happens, The Swimmers manage to kick it up another notch.

This happens in “What This World is Coming To.” The Swimmers give an almost John Lennon-esque sound to this song by adding some gentle clapping and strumming to the band’s modern sound. It is the kind of song one would want to listen to while driving down a freeway in the rain.

People are Soft ends with a delightfully funky song, “Try to Settle In.” The bass and drums combination make it impossible to not dance along with the beat of the song. “Try to Settle In” is the perfect way to end the album, containing more music than lyrics.

All in all, this was an excellent album. Though The Swimmers may never become mainstream, it might just be better that way.