💿: Castor/pollux - Album Review

By: Ty McDuffey

FIRST THINGS FIRST…

Castor/Pollux is a twin project released by 20-year old Kansas City singer/songwriter Swansyn. The two EP’s are both five tracks in length, but they are truly concise and complete pieces of work. Despite having short tracklists, the twin project’s total playtime is around 40 minutes, meaning each song is well fleshed out with complex arrangements. The two EP’s are impressive – they are entirely self-produced, and many of the songs feature engaging beat changes that keep the listener interested.

It’s difficult not to appreciate the breadth of Swansyn’s talent as a producer, but as a vocalist, Swansyn is highly creative and experimental. His voice has a soft airiness and lo-fi quality to it. Castor/Pollux sees time and tone-shifted vocals that are delivered with chillingly emotional layers. The tracks are melodic at their core, but an attentive ear will surely appreciate the depth and soul of the lyricism that Swansyn delivers.

Thematically, Castor/Pollux is reminiscent of the past and explores confusion, heartbreak, self-discovery, old relationships, and feelings of loneliness. “Pollux” is slightly darker, raspier, and features more rapping than “Castor,” but both EP’s are uniquely genre-defying, spanning in sound from psychedelic rap to indie-funk to techno.  

Standout track: “TERRA”

“Terra” is a sprawling, expressive, 5-minute long emotional ballad with themes of spirituality and death over an acoustic guitar loop. The track feels like multiple different songs due it’s length and changing drum patterns, making for an immersive listening experience.  

IN CONCLUSION…

You can follow Swansyn on Instagram @_swansyn_. You can stream Castor/Pollux and the rest of Swansyn’s discography on Spotify or Apple Music.

---

DISCLAIMER: Please remember this an opinion piece only. All views and points discussed are of the writer’s only.