Craig Swan creates his own world on thrilling EP, "George's Diner"
Released exclusively on Bandcamp, we have quickly fallen in love with the originality and complexities of Craig Swan’s debut EP, George’s Diner. Please read on for our full review of the record, in addition to a background on this artist.
Named after a “derelict greasy spoon cafe that seemed to perfectly encapsulate the erosion of local communities and the growing isolation of people in built-up environments”, Craig Swan’s EP George’s Diner is the wondrous encapsulation of themes exploring isolation, loss, and hopeful redemption. Truly, it’s one of the most inventive pieces of art that we’ve heard in quite some time and is more of an experience rather than a standard listen.
Inspired by some of the greats like Nick Cave, Hilary Woods, and Joni Mitchell, Craig has still managed to single handedly invent his own niche of music and space in a genre that feels overcrowded. The EP comes in at 6 total tracks and immediately throws the listener into the deep end, all the while opening everyone up to the genius that is Craig Swan. Kicking things off with “Return to the Ground”, you instantly get a glimpse of the all encompassing ingenuity that George’s Diner provides.
Filled with a mixture of the artist’s vocals spliced in with spoken word passages, things felt quite ominous and dramatic from the get go. We have to recommend that you give it a listen on a pair of nice headphones because the production quality featured is out of this world. The opening on “Wake Up, George” literally sent shivers down our spine with the eerie introduction and didn’t let up until its final moments.
What we will say is that George’s Diner isn’t a standard listen and we’re not even quite sure what you could label it as. We don’t want that to push you away from the record though because it’s actually one of the most cohesive listening experiences we’ve endured in a while too. There aren’t any singles to pick out, rather a full EP listen that becomes the ideal introduction to the art of Craig Swan.
Without giving too much else away, let us confidently point you in the right direction of those links below where you can not only listen, but follow along with Craig to make sure you’re up to date on everything in the future. We hope you love this as much as we did, enjoy!
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