Now The Swell

Union Trade, The – Now the Swell Reviewed by Witz

Instrumentally driven atmospheric rock. This EP is the first release from local SF quartet. Instrumentally powered, but with occasional vocals thrown in, each track is emotionally packed, brimming with honest melancholy, desperation, and hope. The quartet obviously takes some major cues from Explosions in the Sky, and The Album Leaf, but definitely adds to the genre, providing four solid, lengthy tracks.
FCC CLEAN

**1) Airy, light guitars and drums with some consistent vocals on top. Breaks into a soaring finale, giving a feeling of hope or starting over. (5:31)
2) Starts mild and builds into frenetic instrumentals. Big arching guitars, ringing of desperation. Some vocals adding depth. (6:58)
3) Breezy intro, melancholy southern tinted vocals with straightforward lyrics. Builds slightly toward the end. (4:25)
4) Epic 9 minute track sounding a lot like The Juliana Theory. First 3 min slow with vocals, builds to more and then subsides and repeats. Not nearly as interesting and packed with variation as a 9 minute song could be. (8:52)