The Sweeplings are an American indie-folk duo who Jane has reviewed a couple of times for us before. Now it’s my turn to run the rule over some of their music courtesy of the release of their self-titled album which promises us an emotional journey through loss, change and perseverance.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Glass Jar Photography
Whitney Dean and Cami Bradley, aka The Sweeplings, released their debut album Rise & Fall in 2017, following that up with Debris in 2022. You may have even heard their music in TV shows like Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries. Their latest processes personal tragedy, ups and downs, and all the emotions that come with them across eleven tracks that will have you gripped.
The album opens with Fever Running Loose. It’s a lively yet reflective start. Upbeat acoustic guitar meets rumbling bass and delicious vocal harmonies. The pensiveness of the first verse gives way to an expansive and cathartic chorus where everything is let go. You can tell right from the off that this is going to be an album that hits hard.
Drag Me Deeper (oh no) takes things in a darker direction, with a slightly eerie atmosphere created by plucked notes and low chanting vocals. My Ach’n Heart is ethereal and full of longing. The addition of melancholic strings amplifies the emotion powerfully. Nothing Can Keep Me From You lightens the mood with a soft and vibrant moment full of love. It’s a highlight.
No Mercy is a simmering and soulful number that steadily builds a lush country folk arrangement. Just Like That, by contrast, is intimate and dreamy. Cami’s delicate lead vocals are at their most charismatic. Stay brings together a lot of the threads introduced so far, with pleading vocals, delicate folk and genuine affection in its lyrics. It’s another highlight.
Can I Have Forever With You has a touch of the timeless about it with its classic and romantic style. The Only One is a heart-rendering journey, tackling self-doubt and uncertainty. Without You is full of descriptive lyrics that bring its devastating grief-laden story to life. Farewell, suitably, closes the album. It opens slow and vulnerable before arriving at conclusion that’s full of reluctant acceptance. It’s the perfect ending.
You can listen to the whole of The Sweeplings below.
