King Hannah – Big Swimmer (2024) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

King Hannah – Big Swimmer (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 49:48 minutes | 1,03 GB | Genre: Indie Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © City Slang

The duo King Hannah were already being touted early on by the international music press as the next big thing in indie rock. With their debut album “I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me”, singer and guitarist Hannah Merrick and lead guitarist Craig Whittle more than justified the praise they received in 2022. Their new album “Big Swimmer” is all the more eagerly awaited.

With it, King Hannah demonstrate a new understanding of their sound, their strengths and their vision for the future of the band’s music. The album’s eleven new songs reflect the band’s experiences in foreign lands and are inspired by the duo’s extensive touring around the globe. In the last two years alone, they have shared the stage with renowned artists such as Kurt Vile, Thurston Moore, Kevin Morby and DIIV and thrilled audiences at European and American festivals such as End Of The Road, Primavera Sound and Fusion.

From these experiences, King Hannah creates a musical canvas that oscillates seamlessly between the calm depths of meditative pop and vast soundscapes full of darkness, wit and quirky humor. Producer Ali Chant, who has already refined related artists such as PJ Harvey and Aldous Harding, has staged the album magnificently.Following their brilliant debut album in 2022, I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me, singer Hannah Merrick and guitarist Craig Whittle embarked on a journey across America, traveling from Los Angeles to Boston, with stops in Texas and Nashville. In essence, this Liverpool-born duo has immersed themselves in the vast landscapes and cultural heart of America—the birthplace of blues, folk, and country, as well as urban rock—like shamans channeling the finest elements of the Great American Songbook.

Hannah Merrick’s voice works wonders, drawing inspiration from Jefferson Airplane, The Velvet Underground, and Bill Callahan. Craig Whittle complements her perfectly with vintage guitars—acoustic or electric, soft or intense, clear or saturated—always hitting the right note. Together, they form King Hannah, telling stories that make you feel like you’re levitating.

We float with them above the still Tennessee countryside (as in “John Prine on the Radio”) or the wide avenues of big, bustling cities (like in “New York, Let’s Do Nothing”). Regardless, everywhere they go, there’s a desire for purity and vulnerability, reflected in the lightness of their instrumentation. Their songs can sometimes be distilled down to a movement, a latent intention carried by an indolent voice. This is evident in the fantastic title track, featuring backing vocals by New Jersey rocker Sharon Van Etten, who also contributes to the langorous country tune “This Wasn’t Intentional.” A great record, and clearly deserving of a Qobuzissime. Smaël Bouaici

Tracklist:

1-1. King Hannah – Big Swimmer (05:22)
1-2. King Hannah – New York, Let’s Do Nothing (03:22)
1-3. King Hannah – The Mattress (04:45)
1-4. King Hannah – Milk Boy (I Love You) (03:53)
1-5. King Hannah – Suddenly, Your Hand (07:19)
1-6. King Hannah – Somewhere Near El Paso (08:21)
1-7. King Hannah – Lily Pad (03:33)
1-8. King Hannah – Davey Says (02:47)
1-9. King Hannah – Scully (01:35)
1-10. King Hannah – This Wasn’t Intentional (05:00)
1-11. King Hannah – John Prine on the Radio (03:47)

Download from FileJoker: