Swans – The Beggar

The Beggar is the sixteenth studio album by the American experimental rock band Swans, released on June 23, 2023 by Young God Records and Mute. The album was written and produced by the band’s leader Michael Gira, and features contributions from former and current Swans members, as well as guest musician Ben Frost.

The album is a dark and epic exploration of death, mortality, and spirituality, spanning over two hours of music. The album combines elements of drone, noise, folk, and rock, creating a dense and diverse sonic landscape that ranges from quiet and intimate to loud and chaotic. The album also showcases Gira’s poetic and visionary lyrics, which deal with various themes, such as the end of the world, the nature of evil, the meaning of life, and the quest for transcendence.

The album contains some of the band’s most ambitious and experimental tracks, such as “The Parasite”, a haunting and hypnotic song inspired by the film The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman, “The Beggar Lover (Three)”, a 44-minute instrumental piece that evolves through different phases and moods, and “The Memorious”, a beautiful and melancholic song that closes the album with a sense of hope and grace .

The Beggar is a masterpiece of experimental rock that showcases Swans’ unique vision and talent as a band. It is a must-listen for fans of Swans’ eclectic and groundbreaking style, as well as for anyone who appreciates innovative and timeless music.