Critical reception
Upon its release, Music & Media picked Swimmer as one of their "Albums of the Week" during October 1986. They described the songs as "alternating between guitar-influenced and atmospheric, melodic material". They also noted Lindsay's "strong vocals" which "lift the material up to a higher plane". [7] Paul Massey of the Evening Express noted, "Warmth and sincerity are the trademarks of Lindsay's mellow pop and the single 'Slide' is simply great." [8] Martin Wells of the Derby Evening Telegraph described Swimmer as containing "some delightful Orange Juice/Lloyd Cole-style pop songs". [9] John Wilde of Sounds called the Big Dish "finely carved" with "tongue-lashings of melody, "some flourishing narrative" and an "agility to their pop that you can barely resist". He did, however, note their "inability to finally detonate" as the album, "aimed at the thoughtful [and] spun around in a palatable bustle", showed the band "rare[ly] dash[ing] beyond this sweet sleep, this breathing space". He added, "If anything, they bat on a similar sticky wicket to something like Prefab Sprout, with all the right guile and gumption, but no way to channel it to brilliance. There's all the right curves and some of the right turns, but none of the real flesh." [6]
In the US, Billboard noted the band's "strong song sense" but added that "what may catch ears is the vocalizing of David Byrne sound-alike Steven Lindsay." [10] Cash Box wrote, "Lindsay's whispy voice and strong-based songwriting recommend the group to a wide audience. The band is at its best on heartfelt, melody-rich songs like 'Prospect Street' and 'Slide'." [11] Brant Houston of the Hartford Courant described Swimmer as "a persuasive effort but sometimes too tidy". He added, "The songs are often sprightly, with '60s-like choruses that keep afloat the tunes that tend toward the moribund." [12] Jim Zebora of the Record-Journal as "accessible, insistent pop" but that the band "has a tendency to fall into mediocrity with many songs". [4]
In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic considered the album's material to be "tasteful, cultured and a bit dull". He commented, "The guitars chime, the machine-made beats burble, and Lindsay contemplates existence, but there is a difference between swimming and treading water that he doesn't seem to recognize." [3]
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