Kurt Stifle and the Swing Shift don’t simply appear with the rhythm and groove of any overly familiar blues-rock band. They don’t simply appear at all, but rather, they explode into the airwaves – with the energy, the volume, the weight, and the story-lines, to really demand your attention in a way that isn’t found all too often in modern music.
Swampee is a song with a story, though on first listen – what you’re likely to take from it is the intensity, the manic pace, the thickness. The hook keeps things simple, as do the guitar riffs – bringing perhaps a touch of modern indie-rock to the stage at first, later evolving into a much more classically rock and roll solo-style arena of expression. That hook though, the simple spelling of it holds intrigue but also satisfies in the way that any hard-hitting rock anthem should. You find yourself wanting to shout these letters out in unison with the band’s growing chorus of voices, even before you fully understand the details of the plot within.
Kurt Stifle and the Swing Shift have a recognisable sound right now, it feels authentic, creative, and somewhat carefree – the lyrics quite literally underline this sentiment. The effect of this is that the music feels quite addictive, energizing – instilling a strange sense of confidence within you as you listen. It also feels about as close to a live-show as possible for something that has been recorded to studio-standards, so you get a sense of what a real-time performance would entail, and the truth is it’s likely to be something you won’t forget about any time soon afterwards.
Swampee is an easily memorable and quite striking song from a band who know exactly how to draw your attention in the rawest, most openly rock and roll way possible.
Swampee – An unruly devil sent from the fires of hell to rock the world of the protagonist in the worst possible way.
Swampee is a song from the album The Pilgrims’ Guide to the River of Salvation. Find & follow Kurt Stifle and the Swing Shift on Facebook.
