Swansea Sound - Live At The Rum Puncheon

Gathering talents from Heavenly, The Pooh Sticks, and Talulah Gosh, Swansea Sound could be considered indie royalty if they were the types to regard royalty as a coveted status. But we suspect that they would scoff at such a designation, and that is but one of the reasons to appreciate them. Of course, the main reason to appreciate them is that they are four grounded and charming people who have crafted a wonderful 13-track album of stirring, punchy and incisive crash pop and punk titled Live At The Rum Puncheon. Although the band pulls no punches lyrically, their music is quite catchy and they find the time for some romance, remembrance and plenty of humor to go with social and political observations. Targets include the digital marketplace, teenage angst and the modern music industry, but they also include a tribute to one of their former bands.

We like this album so much that we forgive the untruth at its core. You see, this album was not really recorded live at the The Rum Puncheon. The Rum Puncheon was a notorious bar in Swansea where one could drink away the day, but it closed a long time ago. In the band's defense, the music sounds like it could have been played at the establishment back in the day, and we mean that in the most positive sense. And in a way, that untruth reveals a greater truth: What better place for a virtual band formed in a pandemic to pretend to play live than a long-shuttered venue? There has been a lot of good music created in the pandemic, and in our opinion this album must be included in the top tier.

Swansea Sound (who 'borrowed' the name of a radio station for their name) are Hue Williams, Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, and Ian Button. Live At The Rum Puncheon is out now in CD, cassette, digital and vinyl formats via HHBTM Records, Skep Wax Records, and Austin Town Hall Records. Purchase of a physical version gets you a digital download and Bandcamp streaming, but the album is not available on streaming services. 

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