DOWNLOAD: Dolphins Swimming
By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 25, 2011 7:20PM
Dolphins Swimming is yet another brainchild of Chicago native Travis Lee Wiggins (founder of Essex Chanel, Fetla, The Salts, etc.). The project was born back in 2008 from the casual jam sessions of Wiggins and Essex Chanel violinist Allison Trumbo, and now they’re finally getting around to releasing a debut album.
The self-titled LP is a 13-track collection of folk-pop melodies. It’s filled with violin, acoustic and occasional banjo, a stunning combination that is at times discordant and at others gorgeously graceful.
Most appealing is the album’s straightforward nature. It’s just two people in a room playing with no overdubbing, and the lyrics are almost embarrassingly honest - confused musings of self-reflection, love, getting older and the universal not wanting to go to work.
The result is a vulnerable and relatable collection of songs. They could have excluded a few tracks, but overall it’s a solid album and one that’s well-suited for the quickly-approaching autumn, embodying the restless feeling of transition and a temperate mellowness.
The LP will be released Sept. 23 through Wiggins' label, Sweet Goodness Music. He’ll also release a B-sides EP featuring five tracks from the recording sessions. Until then, you can stream the whole album through Sweet Goodness's site and download its opening track: