All Fires have to burn alive, to live

Sometimes a song just sounds so well-rounded and perfect the first time you hear it and your enthusiasm for it doesn’t wane the more you listen to it. “All Fires” by Swan Lake is one of these songs. It tells the mythical story of a town ruined by a flood and the drowning daughter of the mason. It’s a tragic tale, one which recalls the destroyed town of Trachimbrod from Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel “Everything is Illuminated” due to the parallels between the two villagers daughters being central to the story and two ruined towns.

The song drifts with the help of strummed acoustic guitars and evocative lyrics – “1000 people did what they could / they felled a steeple and tore up the wood / 500 pieces means 500 float / 1000 people means 500 don’t”. I’m sure it will be mentioned in critics lists come the end of the year.

Swan Lake feature Daniel Bejar (Destroyer, New Pornographers), Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown) and Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes).

MP3

Swan Lake – All Fires

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Niall Byrne

Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.

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