Sweat are a Swiss-American quartet that plays vintage-style Rock sounds but with fresh and modern ideas, lead by the vocalist/organist frontwoman Sue Pedrazzi. Their debut album “Who Do They Think They Are?” was released on May 26, 2023 via Tee Pee Records and contains 10 tracks of medium length. Opener “Lament” is a short 50-second intro with guitar arpeggios and Sue’s warm vocals that immerse us in the band’s musical landscape. An energetic interweaving of organ and guitar opens “Errors,” an engaging track with solid rhythms. The vocals are incisive and interpret the lyrics with intensity, a track that shows how the band is adept at combining retro style with a modern, personal touch. “Convenient Bird” continues to explore the wide range of musical influences and styles that characterise the band’s sound. An energetic and highly addictive rhythm section, full of tempo changes, fine guitar and organ interlacing and Sue’s explosive vocals are the ingredients that make this track a perfect 70s-style hit. Late 1960s atmospheres permeate “Jane,” recalling the period before the rise of Prog. Attention-grabbing choruses, solid drumming and fine guitar and organ work on which the vocalist delivers another engaging and very convincing performance. Halfway through the tracklist, the band offers a softer, more melodic track, “Ice Cream Man.” Again, late 60s influences permeate the track, but the band always manages to bring their music into a fresh and modern context. Enriched by tempo changes, the track offers a wide range of nuances and sophisticated passages, with melodic refrains alternating with more rock passages. “Paradise” is another energetic and lively track that opens with intertwining guitar and organ. Sue’s vocals take centre stage with an intense interpretation, while the music is full of sophisticated melodies and well-constructed tempo changes. An intense track that enhances the quartet’s compositional and performing technique with a crescendo ending. Like its predecessor, “Dark Horses (White Lies)” is one of the singles taken from the album. Drumming and organ open the track, on which a warm, deep vocal then develops into a soft, enveloping track. With a change and very well constructed organ and electric guitar riffs, the track returns to the band’s more rock sound, with a good guitar solo in the second part. With a fresh, modern sound, “Running Around” features a fast rhythm section. The duets between guitar and organ are very interesting, as is the vocal interpretation, which is always very incisive. A track that combines different styles thanks to the band’s personal touch with just the right amount of instrumental and vocal parts. The last track before the outro “My Side Of The Mountain” is the longest in duration, exceeding four minutes. An intro with arpeggios and more prog imprinting characterises the sound, also showing the band’s full potential in softer tracks. Very elaborate and with very refined and intense passages, in my opinion one of the best tracks released in 2023. With a change in the middle section, the band offers an intense and elaborate instrumental section between tempo changes, solo inserts and a beautifully crafted Progressive Rock sound. The outro “Into The Lake” gently concludes the listening of this good album. The band shows how music from the golden age of rock can be brought into a fresh and modern context. A personal interpretation of classic Rock sounds with forays into Prog. A recommended listen for lovers of organ-driven Rock, with Sue’s explosive and intense vocals and a very interesting mixture of retro and modern aspects.
Tracklist
01. Lament (00:59)
02. Errors (03:02)
03. Convenient Bird (03:48)
04. Jane (03:16)
05. Ice Cream Man (03:27)
06. Paradise (03:23)
07. Dark Horses (White Lies) (03:53)
08. Running Around (03:08)
09. My Side Of The Mountain (04:40)
10. Into The Lake (00:52)
Lineup
Sue / Vocals and Organ
Richard / Guitar and Vocals
Kayla / Drums
Dan The Man / Bass
1 thought on “[Review] Sweat – Who Do They Think They Are?”