Originally formed in 1989 under the name Blender, thing really started moving for this Essex quintet when they changed their name to Headswim in 1992. It found them toughening up their sound and releasing a string of era-defining records over the following decade. Yet, however good their studio output was, a live album was always sorely missing from their discography, and that anomaly has now been rectified with Flood Live, a bombastic, 14-track live outing that captures the band in their natural environment.
To commemorate the reissue of their debut album Flood (reviewed here), the band convened at the legendary Camden Underworld to deliver a high-octane set. Actually, the band’s grungy take on alternative rock was tailor made for the stage; with plenty on the bottom end they deliver a sound that hits exceptionally hard, and that’s precisely what Flood Live does. By the time this album was recorded, Headswim had been away for awhile, but judging by the reaction that greets opening cut ‘Gone To Pot’, it seems that no one has forgot them. A dark cavernous sound (pretty apt, considering the venue) encases the listener, and it’s here where the band’s twin guitar attack comes into its own; one is lithe and paints intricate pictures, the other an anchor to tether you to the ground. It’s a tension of opposites that is indicative of the band’s modus operandi as light is shaded by dark, the limbering contrasted with the cumbersome, the loud juxtaposed with the quiet, and all conspire to create a thick, lustrous sound. Like a penny dropped in treacle, it’s rich and textured, and flows as such. New motor oil powering and engine, this album omits a warm golden hue (a Ready Brek glow, if you will) that makes the recording three-dimensional.
As the title suggests, this album finds Headswim playing their debut album in full and in order of track listing, and the sequencing that made Flood flow so well has a similar effect here. Subsequently, the mule-kick of ‘Soup’ sits next to the earwormy ‘Try Disappointed’, and without missing a beat, and despite the sonic chasm that separates them. There’s a feeling of celebration emanating from the crowd, you feel that for some present it is a dream come true the band are back on stage, but this being Headswim, that celebratory air will always be tempered (those opposites again). It’s no secret that the recording of Flood was held under a cloud of personal trial and on stage the band drag the listener to some dark places, most notably on ‘Apple Of My Eye’. That’s the power of music of which only a few have command, but on the evidence of this recording, Headswim still have their mojo working. In the musically confused 1990s bands could often sound confused as they mixed and matched styles recklessly, and while Headswim are an amalgamation of various genres (grunge, alt rock, and even prog), tracks such as ‘Safe Harvest’ pull them all into a cohesive whole and deliver them in a finely honed, red-hot laser beam.
After Flood we are treated to three extra cuts, including a majestic rendition of their biggest single, ‘Tourniquet’, and closer ‘Hype’. For many this recording will be their first time hearing tracks from Flood live (myself included), and the impression is rather favourable. While you won’t find the songs acting in new ways, they are given added oomph and urgency by dint of the stage, making Flood Live the perfect companion to its parent album, and evidences why Headswim are still so highly regarded.
- Flood Live is released via Trapped Animal Records and is available now (from here).
- Official Website
Vinyl Track List:
Side A:
- Gone To Pot
- Soup
- Try Disappointed
- Crawl
Side B:
- Dead
- Years On Me
- Apple Of My Eye
- Down
Side C:
- Stinkhorn
- Beneath A Black Moon
- Safe Harvest
Side D:
- Devil In My Palm
- Tourniquet
- Hype
CD Track List:
As vinyl, tracks 1 through 14.
