The glossary for Surfing: A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport defines a swell as "a series of waves that have traveled from their source in a distant storm. After the wave has finished breaking, it continues on as a ridge of turbulence and foam, the whitewater." A soft swell is a smoother variant of the phenomena described above, a wave ideal for surfers looking for a fun cruise without the threat of the ocean tossing them in.
Soft Swells, a Los Angeles pop band, specializes in a brand of music that lives up to the sensation of bright days in the sand, and riding gentle waves as they roll into shore (or so we imagine in our New York City daydreams). Acoustic and electric guitars act as the aforementioned waves, carrying Tim Williams' vocals, while occasional bursts of electronica and organ serve as the sea birds (pretty ones. Terns, not gulls) that round out the idealized day at the beach.
Before we get too wrapped up in the vacation that seems to be the Swells' music, Williams intervenes. The band's name was only meant to suggest a location, not a mood. The frontman accepts that most people who listen to the band's new EP, "Lifeboats," will label the group "surf rock." He can handle the "surf" label, the "indie" label, but he won't settle for falling into the stereotypes that those respective terms entail.
"The last thing this world needs is more bands soaking themselves in reverb, armed with vintage, twangy guitars," he says.
Admittedly, the Soft Swells' music doesn't resonate with as much joy as all the California beach comparisons might suggest. Sure, the instrumentals are likely to bring a smile to the listener's face, but Williams' lyrics require some thought. The television stereotype presents the surfer as carefree, dwelling in a state of constant youth and semi-urban zen. More realistic interpretations might diagnose the same surfer as being scared of growing up, frightened of the real world away from the waves. As Williams sings on "Summer," a new track: "I don't want this summer to ever end." Listeners will end up smiling by the time any of these tunes end, but like Williams and all adults, they have to realize what they're smiling about.
Williams wants Swells to sound happy. Writing happy tracks might be tougher than penning an unhappy song, he said, but he's written enough moody numbers for the time being.
"There is a comfort level in writing a piece of music in order to help you get through a tough time," he admits. "I did that for 3 solo records and got it all out of my system."
The Swells frontman had something to get out of his system when he was making it on his own. For one, he was in Brooklyn, a great place for developing musicians but with weather that can't live up to Southern California. Secondly, he underwent open-heart surgery; recovering from a literal broken heart will squeeze those sad songs right out of you. The move to Los Angeles didn't instantly change him into Brian Wilson, but soon enough he teamed with fellow Brooklynite Matt Welsh (of Phonograph), and released Soft Swells' self-titled debut in 2012. USA Today chose it as the paper's "album of the week," Amazon listed it among its "Outstanding 2012 Albums You Might Have Missed," plus it received a handful of other glowing reviews.
The "Lifeboats" EP will feature a little bit of what brought "Soft Swells" so much acclaim, including new songs "Happier" and "Summer," but it will also include approaches totally different from the previous formula. Consider the band's cover of T-Rex's "Children of The Revolution," where Williams emulates the greasy sex appeal of Marc Bolan, and the beat thumps to the groove of a nightclub, not a beach party. The title track gets an electric remix from Jon Visger's ABSOFACTO project as well.
Despite Soft Swells' new musical trips, which seem to represent more aspects of Los Angeles culture than just its beaches, Williams is comfortable if the beach is where the listeners' minds end up when indulging in "Lifeboats."
"No," he said, laughing when asked if he got tired of being compared to the sound of surfing. "Whatever gets people to the music the quickest is the most important thing for me."
Listeners should try to get to Soft Swells music quick, whether it be by planes, trains or automobiles. Or surfboards.
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