Is What Is This? a good place to start with Swans?

Yes, What Is This? is recommended as a starting point for new Swans listeners. A sprawling exploration of existential dread, blending haunting melodies with intense sonic textures that challenge and captivate. Released on January 1, 2019, 'What Is This?' marked Swans' first album after the reformation of the band in 2010 and their ongoing evolution into a more experimental sound. This project followed their critically acclaimed album 'The Glowing Man' from 2016, further establishing their place in the avant-garde music landscape.

Who is What Is This? for?

What Is This? works well if you're into steady pacing with gradual peaks, haunting soundscapes for deep introspection and immersive experience for focused listening.

How many songs are on What Is This??

What Is This? has 10 tracks, running approximately 67 minutes.

What Is This?

Swans · 2019

67 min · 10 tracks · alternative rock

A sprawling exploration of existential dread, blending haunting melodies with intense sonic textures that challenge and captivate.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Leaving Meaning Start here — Opening the album, this track sets a haunting tone with its ethereal soundscapes and introspective lyrics, encapsulating the overarching themes of uncertainty and searching.
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The Hanging Man — This lengthy piece builds tension through its minimalist instrumentation and repetitive motifs, reflecting a state of emotional suspension that resonates throughout the album.
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Cathedrals of Heaven — With its expansive structure and evocative imagery, this track serves as a meditation on mortality and transcendence, showcasing the band's lyrical depth and sonic ambition.
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My Phantom Limb — The culmination of intricate layers and dynamic shifts allows this track to explore themes of loss and identity, representing the emotional core of the album.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

79 /100

Summit

Higher than 99% of albums we've rated

The album's ambitious structure and sonic depth showcase Swans' unique approach to experimental rock.

What we noticed

The album features lengthy tracks, with several exceeding eight minutes, allowing for gradual development of themes and textures.
Many songs incorporate dynamic shifts, alternating between quiet, haunting passages and intense, chaotic climaxes.
The use of layered instrumentation creates a dense soundscape that often feels immersive and overwhelming.
Vocals are delivered in a manner that blends with the instrumentation rather than standing out as traditional lead lines.

Composition 25% of the score: 8/10
Craft 20% of the score: 9/10
Durability 25% of the score: 7/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 9/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 8/10

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

steady pacing with gradual peaks
haunting soundscapes for deep introspection
immersive experience for focused listening
exploratory journey through dissonance
reflective moments for solitude

Maybe skip if you

prefer upbeat instant gratification
seek short, standalone tracks

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Experimental — Represents a departure into more experimental sound post-reformation.
Career context: Released on January 1, 2019, 'What Is This?' marked Swans' first album after the reformation of the band in 2010 and their ongoing evolution into a more experimental sound. This project followed their critically acclaimed album 'The Glowing Man' from 2016, further establishing their place in the avant-garde music landscape.
Stylistic neighbors: Godspeed You! Black Emperor· The Young Gods· Neurosis