ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE SKINNY 21 NOVEMBER 2012
Michael Gira's ambitions for this particular live incarnation of Swans are not modest: the set clocks in at around two hours and from the gentle opening – atmosphere drones backing Gira's affecting baritone – to the tumultuous finale, the band chase a shamanic ferocity. But they never quite achieve that ineffable ecstasy, offering moments of brutality (the revisiting of 1980s A Coward is concise terror), galloping joy (The Seer itself) and stretch where they struggle to rise above The Arches' difficult sound.
Support Sir Richard Bishop is overshadowed by the expectation of Swans: his acoustic strumming follows the experimental Americana (folky but with eastern sounding motifs and a drone sensitivity) introduced by John Fahey in the 1960s. It connects to Swans' interest in folk instrumentation and the extended yet focused improvisation. In some ways, Swans' set is a more orchestrated version of Bishop's musical quest, replacing the precision of his picking with a layered majesty.
Swans, however, are at the mercy of The Arches' idiosyncratic acoustics. Some parts of the room reduce the crunch of the bass to a buzz – elsewhere, a treble hiss distracts from the full tilt attack of the guitars. Many of the more improvised passages reach a monotonous glory, an emphatic and almost spiritual energy, occasionally descending into self-indulgence. The precision of A Coward or the dynamic pulse of The Seer make it clear that this line-up can reach Gira's vision – tonight, an inconsistency creeps in, leaving them sporadically exciting.
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