CD Review

Artist: Andy Swan

Title: Andy Swan’s Ottawa

Label: Kelp Records

Publicity: Killbeat Music

Released: November 13^th 2007 

2 ½ Stars 

Reviewed By: Christopher Williams      

Andy Swan is a relatively decent singer, with some mildly interesting folk songs, but I can’t figure out exactly what induced him to leave the 1960s campfire and decide to make an album?  

It is so mellow it borders on one long catatonic state. Being heralded as old fashioned country meets rock, Andy Swan’s Ottawa appears to me to be more influenced by flower power subculture. Mind you, if you wanted to hear Steeleye Span or Gordon Lightfoot, you might just as well buy the originals.  

Andy Swan’s Ottawa isn’t a terrible collection, it just comes across as ultra-mellow, sloppy, little import on lyrics and lacking in features or uniqueness. Plus he sounds a little bitter in his songs such as ‘You Got The Diamonds (I Got The Shaft)’ and ‘StarF*****.’ It would be nice to listen to Andy Swan around a campfire with an adlib feel to the evening, we’d all consider him ‘good’ on that level, but perhaps it might be best to give this one a miss when investing dollars and cents.  

If My Daddy Could See Me Now

Can I Pay You With Sunshine?

Brian Jones

Maybe It’s Love

In A Shoebox, Under The Bed

Belt Buckle

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service

The Truth About Thieves

You Got The Diamonds (I Got The Shaft)

Star F*****

The Great Depression

The Sound Of Snowflakes Falling

Down & Dirty

In The Streets