Between 2010 and 2017,
Michael Gira led a mostly stable lineup of
Swans who toured and recorded constantly, producing some of the most ambitious work of his monumental career. Surprisingly enough, this era of the group ended up being highly successful, with a Top 40-charting album and near-universal acclaim. Considering how intense and physically demanding the group's music had become, particularly during the years surrounding
The Seer and
To Be Kind, it was perhaps inevitable that this era of
Swans would come to an end, and
Gira dissolved the lineup in 2017. From then on,
Swans has consisted of a revolving cast of musicians, including previous contributors to
Swans and
Angels of Light as well as several other guests, friends, and tourmates.
Leaving meaning. features an impressive guest list, including composer/master sound designer
Ben Frost, lauded Australian improv trio
the Necks,
Jeremy Barnes and
Heather Trost of Balkan-psych fusionists
A Hawk and a Hacksaw, and many others. The guest contributions that stand out the most are
Anna and
Maria von Hausswolff's swooping, ecstatic backing vocals during the ritualistic "Sunfucker" and
Baby Dee's ethereal dream narrative during the truly entrancing "The Nub." Other highlights include the flow-of-thoughts march of "Some New Things" and the hopeful, existentialist procession "What Is This?" In sharp contrast to the previous few
Swans albums, the pieces here are generally calm and patient, never building up into an earth-shaking crescendo, and never exceeding 12 minutes this time around. The group's music sounds as hypnotic as ever, and the arrangements generally sound fantastic. ~ Paul Simpson
