Under Swing Set’s influences section on their webpage, Teenage Fanclub and George Jones are listed side by side. Just the kind of spirit that has driven the southern rock and roll movement of the last decade or so, a spirit that owes just as much to R.E.M. as Lynrd Skynrd.
Swing Set is the solo moniker for former Sodajerk front man Alex Brenner. Sodajerk toured the east coast for nearly decade, spreading their own brand of alt. country before packing it in after 2007’s swan song Sodajerk 2. Described as Johnny Cash meets the Replacements, Sodajerk’s sound owed a lot to the early periods of bands like the Old 97’s or Wilco. However, Brenner’s solo work is characterized by a renewed focus on his vocals and heartfelt lyrics. Where Sodajerk would stack on the electric guitars and turn their amps up to 10, Swing Set sets the mood with acoustic guitars, light drums, and some pedal steel embellishments.
Owing as much to Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters) as the Old 97’s, How To Make A Living Selling Yourself Short, Swing Set’s debut, is an Americana record with indie-rock influences. Recorded in Brenner’s Decatur, GA apartment, the album fits late nights or hung over mornings like a worn glove. Brenner’s voice has a little bit of twang and a lot of heartache in it, which makes for a record that seeps emotion at every turn. Also adding to the mix is background vocals by Emily Kate Boyd and Vanessa Olivarez, highlighted on “Nothing to Hold On To” (sounding eerily like Jenny Lewis).
The record is available through cdbaby.com or by download through Swing Set’s webpage: http://www.myspace.com/swingsetrocks
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