The Wild Swans - Reviews - Incandescent

REVIEWS

Incandescent - Glasgow Herald	BUY!

Liverpool in the early 1980s was awash with musical dreamers. The Wild Swans, formed by ex Teardrop Explodes keyboardist Paul Simpson and future Lotus Eaters Jerry Kelly and Ged Quinn are the missing link between Echo and the Bunnymen's cod-psychedelics and the new wave of scally janglers epitomised by The Coral, a band managed by Swans drummer Alan Wills. Too clever by half, they aspired to an epic melodrama and majesty that had as much to do with gleaming spires and 'Brideshead Revisited' as Boy's Own adventures. Their one single, 'The Revolutionary Spirit,' was financed by Bunnymen drummer Pete De Freitas and released on Bill Drummond's seminal Zoo label. Drummond said the record was the greatest thing Zoo ever did. Unfortunately, it was recorded in mono. Even so, Simpson's urgent crooning on this 2CD collection of radio sessions, demos and a live set culled from their 1981 tour supporting Echo and the Bunnymen is awash with the self-conscious pomp only overly- literate doomed romantics could muster on songs titled 'God Forbid,' 'Flowers Of England' and 'Holy Spear.' Kelly's fidgety guitar-work predates Johnny Marr, while lyrically, this is the sound of serious young men in all their sublime, high-fallutin' glory. A magnificent artifact.