Richard Swift

I saw "The Hex," the swan song of singer/songwriter/producer Richard Swift popping up on a lot of year end lists over the last couple weeks and decided to check it out.  Wow.  Oh how did i miss this last September?  The record is phenomenal, a mix of doo-wop, classic pop, folk, honky tonk piano, synths, croon, and wall-of-sound aesthetic that is simultaneously funny, woozy, uplifting, melancholy, and devastating, a showcase of the human spirit.  Swift made a name for himself collaborating and producing records for folks like Kevin Morby, The Shins, and more, but "The Hex" feels like it's on a whole other level.  Somewhat inspired by the deaths of his mother and sister, the record finds an artist trying to find ground, something Swift was ultimately unable to do as he passed away earlier this year as a result of his alcoholism.  And while death may hang over the proceedings, there's so much more to hear in this final work.  Listen to album closer "Sept20" below and get the record here from Secretly Canadian.