What did we as a species do to deserve another two-hour dark and punishing album from Swans in just two years? Whatever it is, I hope we keep doing it.
The music itself in this one is just as good, and there are some really awesome tracks I can't wait to re-listen to. The obvious difference to my ears is that Gira's vocals sound much wilder and unconstrained in this one. If we take the title of The Seer literally, to be about some sort of dark future-telling cult, then To Be Kind sounds a bit like they've gotten into gyromancy.
I mentioned that The Seer seemed to be devoid of punk influences. Well, there are definitely shades of Public Image in this one, what with all of the Dadaist lyrics. Also, counter to the title, there are some especially cruel moments in this album. "I need loooove," yells Gira in "I'm Just a Little Boy," and we hear derisive laughter in response. In fact, "love" might be the most common word in To Be Kind, which makes me wonder whether John Lennon might actually be the most important influence here.
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