Olympic Swimmers – "Where it Snows" [2012]

BandCamp / HoME

No Flags Will Fly, the debut full-length from Glasgow's Olympic Swimmers, is one of those albums. By that I mean if you first hear it a year or two from now you'll say to yourself "why didn't I know about this album, and why didn't I know about this band, in June 2012".  Well, dear readers, it is our goal to save you the public embarrassment and private self-loathing that can result from such circumstances.

The music is diverse and uniformly outstanding.  Some parts are delicate, some vulnerable, and some noisy and bursting with energy.  While the entire ensemble is excellent, Susie Smillie's vocals may be the most memorable feature in this set of songs.  Ethereal, folky or pop, as demanded by the musical context, but always with remarkable clarity and a hint of emotional ache.