The Sways is an unhurried and melodious reflection on existentialism, whimsy, and empathy. The trio asks us, “What if things do work out? What if we are more than what we are now?” The Sways’ five-track debut EP is set to be released this Friday, 19 September, and if this early review is anything to go by, everyone should love it.
A glimmering meld of indie-folk and indie pop, this EP has length, with songs averaging between three and four minutes each, making it a fuller project to enjoy despite its status as an extended play. Ahead of the official release, the band released the title track and the track “I Have Been The Moon” to much success and popularity, having amassed over 700k streams. Still, there is something elusive about this trio. After crawling through their social media pages and Artist pages, I still could not find sufficient information on the band, such as their names and roles in the group. However, one thing is evident: The Sways are an emerging talent with a message to share.
This EP is anchored by its lush instrumentation that is textured and rich but not overwhelming. Instead, the guitar and percussion are soothing and are soft backgrounds to the silently powerful lyricism. Lines such as “Take a deep breath/ there are angels in your mind” are truly resonant and encouraging, truly leaving you with a feeling after listening. More than the lyricism within the songs, the track titles are self-explanatory, but also expansive. “It’s Okay to Fall Apart” and “It Feels Like Deja Vu” are especially magnetic titles that make you wonder about what more the song has to say. In addition to the beauty behind this intentionality, the harmonies within are layered and arranged to bring out the best vocal work of the members and emphasise how mesmerising their voices are when singing in unison. This weaves seamlessly with the already delicate balance of the varying instruments and the one beautiful voice that makes this project all the more cohesive. On both a technical level and a narrative level, this is a solid quality debut offering.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
