So It Was – Swimming Hole (2023)
For over 200 years, people have travelled across the USA to the South Yuba River to pan for gold. Some made their fortune and some just spent time panning without too much success. Jump ahead to more recent years and we see singer-songwriter Daniel Lobb googling “best swimming holes California”, then relocating to the same place. In his case, Lobb made a fortune, but it wasn’t literally gold. In Lobb’s case, he met his best friend, wif-+e and overcame a chronic health condition that had “fogged him down for years”. This was his gold.
So, speed up to 2019 and we see (or rather hear) Lobb’s band, So It Was, releasing music for the masses with their self-titled debut album. Since then, So It Was released a couple more singles, collaborated with Sub Pop’s Daniel Martin More, appeared on record with Jim James, bell hooks and Wendell Berry, and garnered an international following with media coverage far beyond their US borders. Established as a cog in the Louisville music community, So It Was earned a reputation for emotive melodies with thought-provoking content.
Following their well-received single ‘Speak Now!’, ‘Swimming Hole’ is So It Was’ second single of 2023. Taken off their upcoming full-length album, Round The Mountain, ‘Swimming Hole’ is most easily described as eccentric. Mellifluous with a gentle melody carrying listeners across the tune in a comfortable indie-folk hug, ‘Swimming Hole’ has a soothing nature. Yet, while the softness and gentle flow of the track is charming, a slight obscurity can be felt within the arrangement.
Expertly layered, ‘Swimming Hole’ taps into folk and pop with a slather of classical music driven by a jazzy kick in the background. Led by a steady snare backbeat, the consistent thump adds momentum to the tune – like a heartbeat maintaining that life-giving force. Guitars whirl about with a soothing sensation, but it is the slick of classical piano that makes the song anything but pedestrian.
While the melody can keep you captivated with its symphonic blend of classic and contemporary, Lobb’s vocals add obscurity. Warm and rich, there is a familiar charm to the dulcet tones; however, a curious off-kilter lilt flutters in the voice. I might compare it to Paolo Nutini, but then again So It Was has originality defining their music as the “So It Was sound”.
For more from So It Was, check out their Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
