Leaving Meaning
Leaving Meaning is the fifteenth studio album by American experimental band Swans. It was released October 25, 2019, on Young God and Mute. A double album, Leaving Meaning's songs have been mixed separately for vinyl and CD releases, with the CD version of the album containing the original mixes of the songs, as well as an additional track, "Some New Things". As with all Swans' releases of the 2010s, Leaving Meaning was financed by a fundraiser album – in this case, What Is This? in March 2019.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Leaving Meaning received mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Leaving Meaning received an average score of 75, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Andrew Perry of Mojo gave the album a favorable review, comparing it partly to The Burning World and writing, "Whatever the sonic weather, Gira's spiritual austerity remains unimpaired."Personnel
Adapted from the official Young God Records website and album liner notes:Swans
- Michael Gira – vocals, acoustic guitar and electric guitar, production, art design
- Kristof Hahn – lap steel guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Larry Mullins – drums, percussion, vibes, Mellotron, keyboards, synth, backing vocals
- Yoyo Röhm – electric bass guitar, double bass, keyboards, piano, synth, backing vocals
- Thor Harris – percussion, trumpet, clarinet, sounds, bells, gizmos, additional vibes
- Christopher Pravdica – bass guitar, sounds
- Phil Puleo – hammered dulcimer, art layout and execution
- Norman Westberg – electric guitar
- Paul Wallfisch – piano
- Chris Abrahams – piano, organ
- Tony Buck – drums, percussion
- Lloyd Swanton – double bass
- Baby Dee – lead vocal
- Fay Christen – backing vocals
- Ida Albertje Michels – backing vocals
- Cassis Staudt – accordion, harmonium
- Anna von Hausswolff – choral/backing vocals
- Maria von Hausswolff – choral/backing vocals
- Ben Frost – guitar, synths, sound manipulations, engineer
- Jennifer Gira – various backing vocals, cameo vocal
- Jeremy Barnes – santur, hi-hat, fiddlesticks, accordion, engineering
- Heather Trost – Stroh violin, violin, viola, fiddlesticks, engineering
- Dana Schechter – bass, sounds
- Mika Bajinksi – additional backing vocals
- Marie-Claire Schlameus – additional backing vocals
- Swan Gira – laughter
- Saoirse Gira – laughter
- Tatiana Hahn – host
- Ingo Krauss – engineer on basic tracks at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin; mixing
- Jason LaFarge – engineer at Seizure's Palace, Brooklyn, NY
- Francesco Fabris – assistant engineer at Ben Frost studio, Reykjavik
- Sander Stuer – assistant engineer at Ben Frost studio, Reykjavik
- Doug Henderson – mastering
- Paul A. Taylor – art layout and execution