Growing — Vision Swim

Growing are a trio, known mostly for their heavy, doom laden, guitar drones. In concert they push volumes to the extreme, and extend the drones, creating an almost physical presence.

Vision Swim represents a slightly different direction for the band, in that there's evident electronic manipulation of the music. Certainly, there's been some electronics included within their previous albums, but in this case, the music is chopped into sputtering bits. Though guitars are the main instrument, they are often fucked with to the point that they no longer sound like a guitar.

It takes a little while for the logic of these tunes to sink in, because they seem so scatter-shot on first listen. And indeed a couple of the shorter pieces are rendered a bit inconsequential as a result of the methodology. The longer pieces, which make up the greater part of the album, are much more successful. The repetitive, noisy tunes, reveal complex tapestries underneath. It's refreshing to see Growing take a different approach to their music. Vision Swim, though not perfect, is an admirable effort, and is certainly worthy of your time.