“Shadows on the Wall” is The Swamp Stompers 4th release in 6 years and surely their best to date. The three-piece band from New South Wales have certainly written and recorded in a variety of styles and are certainly not out to be pigeon-holed into a single category or genre. With their funky, bluesy rock (or is it rocky blues) there is certainly something for everyone on this EP and I for one can’t wait to hear these transformed into their live set. The long term collaboration with recording engineer Dave Sparks (Lime Spiders) and producer Torsten Gustavsson (Corduroy Spaceship) has reaped benefits with the excellent production throughout and the artwork to the EP is eye-catching.
The fast paced “Wishing I Had You” kicks us off with up tempo drum beat & guitar riffs along with catchy chorus and killer solo, before slowing down and fading out to change the mood even before the track has finished. The quality of the title song “Shadows on the Wall” is immediately apparent, as we flow into funky slow bass lines, rhythms and fantastic vocals. My favourite on the release is the third track “Wave”, a slow and haunting song with beautiful guitars and stunning vocal arrangements throughout. “Hey” picks the pace back up again with a foot tapping feel, which will no doubt be a live favourite, as we are taken back to the nostalgia of the 70’s. The final official track “I’ll Finish You Boy” eases us back down again with its Sunday arvo, hammock lazing groove which once again gives a nod of the head to that classic 70’s vibe. The final secret track is a 54 second punchy upbeat blues number which ends the EP on a high and gets you in the mood to play it all again right from the start. This is a great collection of songs and sounds from Corey Legge (guitar & vocals), Luke Ligtenberg (bass, didgeridoo & vocals) & Oli Morley-Sattler (drums & vocals).
”We’re all really excited about this new release. We finally feel we’ve captured our live sound and some of our best songs on a record. It was important to record this EP back home on the Far South Coast of NSW, as I think being in such a beautiful place with old friends helped us to relax and be ourselves in the studio,” says guitarist Corey Legge of the EP.
Catch the band on tour through October/November, details here.
