Swans' later albums have often been presented as both endings and new beginnings of some form or another. After a series of colossal post-reunion releases during the 2010s which surprisingly managed to become the band's most commercially successful efforts,
Michael Gira stepped back and made the more ruminative, acoustic-based
leaving meaning., then edged closer to a more epic sound with
The Beggar. Concert release
Live Rope (which was enormously well-received by fans, and has remained in print, unlike many of the band's between-album releases) indicated that
Gira was interested in returning
Swans to the intense, transcendent state of monolithic works like
The Seer and
To Be Kind.
Birthing is said to be the last "big sound"
Swans release before the group continues in a more pared-down form. Essentially, it's not that far off from
The Glowing Man, which means that it's familiar territory for anyone who has spent time with the band's albums or experienced their concerts, but it's still an incredibly powerful record. Most of the pieces were developed on tour and rearranged in the studio, and some of them were captured in a previous form on
Live Rope. Nearly all of the tracks establish a hypnotic, mystical aura before abruptly changing or ramping up into more chaotic sections. "I Am a Tower" is one of the album's most dazzling compositions, gliding and swarming through several moods and states before emerging as a triumphant procession. The title track has a lengthy, majestic build and a more delicate section in which
Gira repeatedly asks "will it end?," then a more forceful, noisy acceleration which slams everything shut. "Red Yellow" and "The Merge" are the album's only two songs which were created entirely in the studio. The former is shorter and steadier, with more of a sensual groove, while the latter begins with pummeling electronic chaos, juxtaposing a child's voice with volatile outbursts. "Rope" is a glimmering, levitating buildup which leads into "Away," a blissful resolution rather than an explosive finale. While some
Swans albums can be overwhelmingly bleak or cathartic,
Birthing generally feels hopeful and empowering, with
Gira seeming more at peace than he has in the past. ~ Paul Simpson
