IAN SWEET – Shapeshifter [Album]

Dear fine TWS readers, please forgive me, as this is my first outing back into the “album review” world in almost two years, but I feel like I have chosen a fine example of why I want to be back in this business. I have a new style of doing things, and I feel like this album is the perfect lift off for me to explore new grounds, and more importantly, new sounds (no, I will not be rhyming as a “thing”, that’s just a happy coincidence.

So, IAN SWEET. Wow. This is what has been happening since I have been away, huh? Nothing can make a hack music-blogger feel more insignificant than hearing something like this that  has been building into a bigger and better thing while I was busy battling the inner turmoils of mild depression and the demons digitally brought before me courtesy of an Xbox One. But, what a fucking joy to come back to! There is just so much to say about Jilian Medford, the mad woman behind this beautifully deranged project. She is obviously an amazing songwriter, singer, and all of those things she has been told in so many ways over the years. She was solo before this, so she knows she is amazing. There is no Pandora’s box being opened on that front. But, I have to bring up the fact that the entire sound of Shapeshifter is absolutely fucking fantastic! I am a lyrically based, singer/songwriter type fan in general, and it is hard to shift my ignorant ass from that form. But, I will be damned if this trio didn’t up and do it! I am in love!

Seriously, you get everything from this record! For poetry obsessed aborigines like me, you get some serious wordplay about battling depression enraged by terrible relationships and the overall tyranny of living amongst the mortal world from a woman who “just fucking gets it!”. But, for the Marc Maron-esque folks out there, you get some pretty intense yet organized guitar work, perfectly timed drums mixed into a beautiful rhythm that is undeniably catchy and obviously important for so many reasons.

There really isn’t a damn thing you couldn’t love about this album. I mean, they have an ode to Michael Jordan for shit’s sake! You get to wax philosophy about terrible past loves while enjoying basketball legends, skateboarding, and the inevitable idea that we may all die alone some day. What the hell else could you want? This is just about perfect, if we really had an idea about what perfect really meant. I don’t think any of us really do. But, I guarantee Shapeshifter is very very close.

Alright, thanks Everyone! Please let me know how this works for you. Not so much the album, because if that didn’t work for you, well, there is no fucking help for you. This is beautiful music. I’m being personal. Did I do okay? Am I alright? Whatever, listen to more IAN SWEET!

Learn more about IAN SWEET from Hardly Art, or find them on Facebook (we still do that, right?), and on Twitter (this is definitely a thing still, right?) Find them on Instagram however the hell you would do that. Also at their website.

Check out this video from IAN SWEET right here as well!