Ah, the return of Shovels & Rope is most welcome.... Swimming Time is a much different album though to the stunning debut of O' be Joyful


Whereas the debut was a thrilling ride akin to drinking moonshine at a hillbilly wedding the follow up feels like drowning your sorrows with an after hours bourbon after realising you really did marry your cousin....


The Devil is All Around is a very downbeat opener but all the ingredients are there from the banjo, harmonies and what sounds like a home made drum kit....


Evil does what the title say - huge slabs of ominous down tuned organ and an insistent piano until it all give way to the first earworm chorus of the album Fish Assassin on the other hand is a less than 2 minute blast based on nothing but hand claps and a bit of percussion..... "making noise with the alligator boys" indeed


Stono River Blues adds another killer chorus with the addition such full on electric guitar while Ohio goes full out with horns borrowed straight from a Mardi Gras parade


Mary Ann and One Eyed Dan is the closest song in feel to the debut album, a sort of twisted doo-wop version of Jack & Diane.....


The final song is called Thresher and over 7 minutes deals with the slightly depressing story of a crippled submarine sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The background choir almost give it a gospel feel and as the song fades only the ping of the submarine is left to slowly disappear over the final 45 seconds. - Perfection


The album ends a lot stronger than it starts but this is still another quality release from a very talented duo.