Making his debut here, we proudly welcome Ray Seraphin as a guest contributor to our site!
San Francisco legend Christopher McVicker makes a welcome return with his second album as Swiftumz, the suitably named Simply the Best. Boasting a 28 minute runtime, Simply the Best is succinct but stuffed with ideas: rootsy, Stoned & Dethroned-inspired cuts (the title track, Fall Apart), two chord drone (For Bucher), and baggy neo-psychedelia (Demoralized) are rendered with equal beauty. Perhaps McVicker’s most impressive trick is how he manages to sound so unhurried throughout the album’s brisk pace—his dulcet vocals peeking out from the clangor with a sigh and a coo before dissipating again. Elsewhere, guest Chris Guthridge’s demonstrative guitar work provides an unexpected contrast to McVicker’s downcast lyrics (sample line: “I can’t make you happy/And I don’t want to try”). Recorded over nearly a decade, Simply the Best proves the best things are worth waiting for—however ephemeral they may be.
Album out now on Empty Cellar Records.