"Sword II is the product of a left-field Atlanta DIY scene that, about a decade ago, was thriving. To witness it then, under the crumbling ceiling of WonderRoot, the surreal Rowdy Dowdy, or its epicenter, the Mammal Gallery, was to witness a cultural collision. Any $5 show might've featured garage-rock psychedelia, a blistering noise set, and SoundCloud rap groups of the Awful Records ilk under the same roof."
"Sword II formed during this dissolution. Their three members have long histories in Atlanta's underground: Mari González comes from the dream-pop trio Kibi James, Travis Arnold plays guitar in the hardcore band Playytime, and Certain Zuko fronted the indie-rock band Sea Ghost and was a founding member of the regionally successful rap group Larry League. Since their 2020 EP, Sword II have developed a sound from screeching guitars and moribund lyrics."
"Electric Hour favors beauty over brutality: The tones are soft, and the harmonies are lush. This more intimate sound was largely inadvertent, as the old farmhouse they recorded the album in had faulty wiring, causing the group to use more acoustic guitars to avoid electrical shocks. Accordingly, they adopted an approach of simply "passing guitars around, [and] writing lyrics with and for each other," rather than sitting on their computers splicing, as they did on SWT."
An Atlanta DIY ecosystem once combined garage-rock psychedelia, noise, and emergent rap across venues like WonderRoot, Rowdy Dowdy, and the Mammal Gallery. Venue closures eroded that momentum, and Sword II formed amid that dissolution. The trio draws on members' histories in dream-pop, hardcore, indie rock, and regional rap. Early releases emphasized screeching guitars and moribund lyrics, while a 2023 debut reflected protest-era anger. Electric Hour shifts toward beauty over brutality, favoring soft tones and lush harmonies. Faulty farmhouse wiring led to acoustic playing, collaborative "passing guitars" songwriting, and simpler, more legible song structures.
Read at Pitchfork
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