Blog: Buzz Bands

Besides its obvious charms — agile melodies, caffeinated percussion and twinkling keyboards — the debut album from Soft Swells feels like a pep talk from a old friend. It's full of polite but candid imperatives. "Say It Like You Mean It." "Put It on the Line." "Shake It Off." "Never Leave Home." "Make It Go Away." Songwriter Tim Williams has obviously given a lot of thought to what is righteous and true, introspection likely triggered by his move to Los Angeles from New York in 2009 after open-heart surgery. Williams' three previous solo albums were fine singer-songwriter meditations, [...]