Swan Returns With A Powerhouse of A Single

R.A.G.
Sep 25
4 min read

A new single release from Swan just dropped, and this track showcases not only this crazy blend of thrashy and intense rock but also loads of soulful and almost southern rock undertone that come together to create a massively intense and addictive track that also manages to pull in elements of punk rock, alternative rock, grunge, and more.

"Animal" is an absolute powerhouse from beginning to end, and believe me, the track wastes very little time getting to the point.

The track is introduced with a rung-out guitar chord and then some deep whammy bar effects before bursting into a fiery riff that immediately builds a huge drive, and the cool thing about it is that the riff itself also has some of that southern undertone to it.

It's got a particular swagger to it, and it's the kind of swagger that the rest of the song sort of follows up with.

The entire thing is explosive and holds very little back in the way of getting right up in your face and hitting you with this gigantic energy, which, in my opinion, is one of the most potent aspects of the track itself.

The energy levels of this song are through the roof, and that gets in your blood. It's infectious and electric.

The song picks up a little bit of speed as the vocals come in, and those vocals are also just as intense, and finally solidify that southern rock swag with belting and unstoppable approaches.

This is one of those songs that puts you right there in the moment somehow and it does it with a sort of fearless punch.

The chorus is awesome because that's where punk rock comes in. Now, there is punk embedded in the veins of this song in general. It is fast, thrashing, a bit intense, a little wild and rambunctious, but the choruses are where the crew vocals come in, and that's what gives me the classic punk rock feel.

There's definitely a lot of attention to detail in terms of the arrangement of this track because there are some great transitions and one of my favorite aspects about the entire thing, a slide guitar solo that just gets nuts.

The slide guitar parts are there to build on that intensity, and it works perfectly because that's the point in the song where things get the most out of hand and feel the most sonically driving and intense.

This section is kind of like a bridge that leads into a transition that brings in more lead guitar work that's not on a slide but absolutely shreds, and what I would consider to be classic Slash (Guns N' Roses) style.

This, of course, consists of the end of the song when it finally explodes and then collapses down come all the while the guitars are still ripping and shredding it up.

This is a super heavy-handed breed of arena rock at its absolute best, and it's done with a pungent undertone while still keeping to this wild, semi-punk rock aesthetic.

This is a single that's an absolute banger from beginning to end, and as that intro comes in, you should really start preparing yourself.

Again, that whammy bar guitar intro is something that is meant to get you ready. Almost like the intro to "Kickstart My Heart" by Mötley Crüe, for example.

It's basically telling you to buckle in, which you absolutely should.

The song is accompanied by a music video releasing October 31st that's just as crazy as the song itself, with the same kind of energy and definitely plenty of time taken into the editing and how it fits into the intensities of the song as they unfold.

They did an amazing job of putting together a music video that fit the song's approach and feel pretty much perfectly.

The name of the game is wild at heart, purebred rock.

It's about not holding back. Dropping an absolute bomb that you won't soon forget because it gives you everything that you could want from a banger of a rock song, and a bit more to boot.

You can feel some kind of reaching out in a freeing sense. Like it's punching through something to get freed, and that's something that brings a little bit of youthfulness to the entire thing.

It's a little rebellious. Well, it's a little more than a little rebellious.

Okay, it's pretty rebellious.

This is a track you don't listen to at a low volume. Don't even waste time doing that. You blast this track at full volume, or you don't do it at all.

It's a fists-in-the-air rock soiree, and it's inviting you to jump in and have a ball right alongside it.

This is exactly what I suggest you do.

Speaking of some of the personal aspects of the song, the Creator and man at the helm of this project, Matt Swan, went through a bit of a difficult personal journey, and it seems that this track helped him get through it, so there's a message from Matt for all you readers, and here it is.

"Thank you for standing by me. Writing Animals helped me carry the weight of losing my best mate, and it reminds me we’re never truly alone. If you’re struggling—please hold on. You matter more than you know.” - Matt Swan

As you can see, there's a lot more depth to the song than at first glance, and I think that it's very possible the riot-rock elements of this track allowed him to loosen up enough to help get him through.

Matt is giving us an important message by stating what he said. I think that some of us need to hear that and remember it.

Thank you, Matt, for both the music and the message.

Crank this one up, put your fists in the air, and get ready for a good time.