Strange Prison

Last updated
Strange Prison
Astral Swans - S t r a n g e P r i s o n Album Cover.jpg
Studio album by
Astral Swans
Released2018
Genre Indie rock
Label Saved by Vinyl (in North America), Tiny Room Records (in Europe), Moorworks Records (in Japan)
Producer Scott Munro (Preoccupations), Paul Chirka, and Matthew Swann, except tracks 2 and 10, produced by Dan Mangan
Astral Swans chronology
All My Favorite Singers Are Willie Nelson
(2015)		Strange Prison
(2018)

Strange Prison is an album by Astral Swans, released in May 2018, [1] [2] described by Exclaim Magazine as "Swann's most sonically exploratory and emotionally resonant release to date," [3] and by BeatRoute Magazine as "brimming with life, full of texture and character while maintaining a laid-back, atmospheric quality". [4]

Matthew Swann (musician) musician

Matthew Swann, performing under the name Astral Swans, is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Calgary, Alberta, signed to Dan Mangan's Madic Records, an imprint of Arts & Crafts Productions. His music style has been described as "introspective late 60s folk à la Nick Drake filtered through an avant-garde 90s lens." His 2015 album, All My Favorite Singers Are Willie Nelson, was described by VICE as "a stark, beautiful project [...] steeped in 60s psych-folk mythology and loner punk iconography." His latest album, Strange Prison, was released in May 2018. Previously Matthew Swann was a member of Hot Little Rocket and Extra Happy Ghost!!!

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Blow Away"
  2. "Controls"
  3. "What Are You Gonna Do with Yourself"
  4. "Prison Builder"
  5. "General Rule"
  6. "The Kids Came By and Burned Down the Scene"
  7. "Strange Prison"
  8. "Free Yourself from All Harm"
  9. "I Belong"
  10. "Excess"
  11. "Sew Their Mouths"
  12. "I Wanna See Something Burn"
  13. "End Song"

Personnel

All vocals and instrumentation by Matthew Swann, except:

Jane Vain and the Dark Matter is an indie rock band formed in 2005 from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The band is fronted by Calgary native Jamie Fooks, and signed to Edmonton’s Rectangle Records. They describe their sound as indie electro-pop. The Montreal Mirror called their music "melancholy" and "macabre," and Fooks has been compared to Emily Haines, Cat Power, and Fiona Apple. They released their first full-length album, Love Is Where the Smoke Is, in January 2008.

Chris Vail is a Canadian musician from Calgary, Alberta.

Preoccupations musical group in Canada

Preoccupations is a Canadian post-punk band from Calgary, Alberta, formed in 2012 under the name Viet Cong. The band consists of Matt Flegel, Scott Munro, Daniel Christiansen (guitar) and Mike Wallace (drums). The group's musical style has been described as "labyrinthine post-punk".

All songs written by Matthew Swann.

Produced by Scott Munro (Preoccupations), Paul Chirka, and Astral Swans (except tracks 2 and 10 produced by Dan Mangan).

Dan Mangan Canadian indie rock musician

Dan Mangan is a Vancouver-based Canadian musician. He has also been a contributing writer for The Guardian's Arts section, Montecristo Magazine and Huffington Post Canada, and has won two Juno Awards.

All songs mixed by Paul Chirka at The Department of Creativity and Mischief, except for tracks 2 and 10 mixed by Dan Mangan at National Park Studios.

Mastered by Harris Newman.

Artwork and design by Gabriel Alan Collins.

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Controls (song) single

"Controls", released in March 2018 by Saved By Vinyl, Tiny Room Records (Europe), and Moorworks Records (Japan) is one of two singles for Astral Swans' 2018 release Strange Prison.

What Are You Gonna Do with Yourself single

"What Are You Gonna Do With Yourself", released in March 2018 by Saved By Vinyl, Tiny Room Records, and Moorworks Records, was one of two singles for Astral Swans' 2018 release Strange Prison, as well as one of three commissioned videos.

References

  1. ↑ Melody Lau (10 May 2018). "First Play: Astral Swans, Strange Prison - CBC Music". CBC Music.
  2. ↑ Eric Volmers (12 May 2018). "Inside Out: Calgary's Astral Swans expands on intimate sound with sophomore release". Calgary Herald .
  3. ↑ Calum Slingerland (17 May 2018). "Astral Swans Returns with 'Strange Prison'". Exclaim!.
  4. ↑ Gareth Jones (11 May 2018). "Astral Swans: Dark complexities, beauty in sight". BeatRoute Magazine .
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