The Novelist / Walking Without Effort by Richard Swift - Uhune

COMPILATION

Beginning with an arc of distant, echo-laden strings and a chorus of voices that sound as if they escaped from the buried and decaying reels of an aborted Disney film, Richard Swift's Secretly Canadian debut paints a world out of time from the very first note. The West Coast singer/songwriter has no qualms about resurrecting Franks Wild Years-era Tom Waits and filtering it through the "new weird America" sound of fellow crooners Andrew Bird and Devendra Banhart, but he manages to find the perfect balance between melody and texture. It's a lot like opening the doors to a packed speakeasy in the '30s, complete with choreographed dancing and well-coiffed but shady characters shaking hands in the corners. Swift's lo-fi, Tin Pan Alley dreamscapes are as lush as they are distant, relying on everything from barroom piano to programmed drums without ever seeming contemporary. Comprised of two records, 2001's Walking Without Effort and 2004's The Novelist, Swift has taken all of the best sepia-tone instrumental moments from Michael Penn and tenderized them into a hobo dinner with Ray Davies slinging the slop. Listeners will find themselves enchanted, disturbed, and speaking in metaphors for days. ~ James Christopher Monger

1. Foreward

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

2. Lady Day

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

3. Lovely Night

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

4. Sadsong St.

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

5. Blues For Mother

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

6. The Novelist

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

7. Ballad of Clifford Swift

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

8. Looking Back, I Should Have Been Home More

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

9. Walking Without Effort Theme

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

10. Half Lit

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

11. In The Air

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

12. As I Go

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

13. Above & Beneath

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

14. Mexico (1977)

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

15. Losing Sleep

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

16. Not Wasting Time

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

17. Beautifulheart

by Richard Swift

Primary Artist: Richard Swift; Main Performer
Artist: Richard Swift; Production

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

17 tracks available

Type

COMPILATION

Format

Digital Media

Duration

49 minutes and 39 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 1400x1400 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

4/17 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

Only 1/17 tracks has synced lyrics

Genres

Pop/Rock, Alternative & Indie, Alternative, Adult Alternative, College Rock, Singer-Songwriter

Label

Secretly Canadian

Music Distribution Service

Secretly Canadian Distribution

Country

United States

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Apr 18, 2005

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

656605011165