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To Be Kind
an unhappy baby's face in the middle of a plain brown background
Standard cover art for the album; digital editions of the album feature the same baby's face, slightly enlarged, in the middle of a white background
Studio album by
Swans
ReleasedMay 12, 2014 (2014-05-12)
Recorded2013
StudioSonic Ranch (Tornillo, Texas)
Genre
Length121:12
LanguageEnglish
Label
Producer
Swans chronology
Not Here / Not Now
(2013) 		To Be Kind
(2014) 		Oxygen
(2014)
Singles from To Be Kind
  1. "A Little God In My Hands"
    Released: March 21, 2014
  2. "Oxygen"
    Released: November 24, 2014
  3. "Screen Shot"
    Released: 2015

To Be Kind is the thirteenth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released on May 12, 2014. A double album, it was recorded by producer John Congleton in Texas.

The songs were developed during the band's 2012 and 2013 tours. The deluxe edition includes a live DVD of the band's performance at the 2013 Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona.[5][6][7]

The album received widespread critical acclaim, continuing a string of well-received albums from the band. The album peaked at number 37 on US Billboard 200, and debuted at number 38 on the UK Albums Chart. Both are the highest chartings that Swans had ever achieved on a studio album and it is the first time that the band cracked the top 40 in both countries.[8][9]

Background

[edit]

To Be Kind was produced by frontman Michael Gira and recorded by John Congleton at Sonic Ranch and at Congleton's studio in Dallas. Rehearsing commenced at Sonic Ranch in October 2013 and recording began soon after. Mixing was completed with Congleton in December in Dallas. Most of the music was developed while touring in 2012 and 2013. The album features special guests St. Vincent, Cold Specks, Little Annie and Bill Rieflin.[10][11] On March 21, the song "A Little God in My Hands" as well as the album artwork were revealed. Six images of babies' heads, created by Bob Biggs c. 1976, were used for the album art.[12]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.6/10[13]
Metacritic88/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[15]
The A.V. ClubA−[2]
The GuardianStarStarStar[16]
Los Angeles TimesStarStarStarStar[17]
MojoStarStarStarStar[18]
NME9/10[19]
Pitchfork9.2/10[20]
QStarStarStarStar[21]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarHalf star[22]
Spin9/10[23]

To Be Kind was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 88, based on 35 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[14] Mark Deming of AllMusic gave the album a positive review, stating:,"Michael Gira is a man unafraid to follow his muse wherever it may take him and To Be Kind is another example of his singular vision writ large without compromise."[15] Anna Wilson of Clash praised the album, describing it as "Karlheinz Stockhausen's jarring classicism, Captain Beefheart's twisted blues, and the industrialism of Einstürzende Neubauten coalescing into a swirling musical miasma." She also stated that the album is "near perfection."[24] Benjamin Bland of Drowned in Sound gave the album a 10/10 score and stated, "This is an album that emphasises rather than establishes Swans' reconfirmed position at the top of the experimental rock tree, but that doesn't make it any less of a thrill." He further commented, "Now that this mission has been completed there is space for To Be Kind, and future Swans records to affirm, rather than prove, that Swans are, and perhaps always have been, the greatest rock group on the face of the planet."[1] Writing for Rolling Stone, Kory Grow compared the album to The Seer, as well as the 1996 effort Soundtracks for the Blind, noting how "Swans' sound has evolved so that they "don't just crush—they hypnotize".[22]

Ross Horton of musicOMH gave the album a 5-star score, commenting, "Gira shows that the Swans resurgence isn't a fluke."[25] Stuart Berman of Pitchfork praised Gira's efforts on the album, stating, "He's responded in the best way possible: by producing a record that, in structure and scale, is every bit The Seer's equal, yet possessed by a peculiar energy and spirit that proves all the more alluring in its dark majesty."[20] Rory Gibb of The Quietus wrote, "By this point they've further coalesced into an inseparable entity. On To Be Kind we experience Swans as totality, all seething ebb and flow crafting music that seems to breathe of its own volition." He also stated that the album's songs "feel more fluid and open-ended than before, expressive and rich in possibility."[26] Colm McAuliffe of The Skinny also gave the album a positive review, stating, "Despite the two-hour plus running time, Swans appear to be – gasp! – enjoying themselves; they're still staring into the abyss but the abyss is no longer staring back." He also noted that the album: "displays much more diversity than its immediate predecessors."[27] Louis Pattison of Uncut wrote, "Yet as the name suggests To Be Kind does feature a quality hitherto rare in Swans: that of tenderness." He also further stated, "Michael Gira is not only still moving forward but making some of the finest albums of his career."[28]

To Be Kind received a "perfect 10" from Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop.[29][30]

While the album's reception was overwhelmingly positive, some reviews were more mixed. Jon Dennis of The Guardian described the album as "uncompromising to the point of overindulgence" and felt that the lengthy track "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture" was "like The Doors playing "The End" for ever, only without the easygoing bonhomie."[16]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Michael Gira.

Disc one
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Screen Shot"Michael Gira8:04
2."Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)"
12:39
3."A Little God in My Hands"Gira7:08
4."Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture"
  • Gira
  • Hahn
  • Harris
  • Pravdica
  • Puleo
  • Westberg
34:05
5."Some Things We Do"Gira5:09
Total length:67:05
Disc two
No.TitleMusicLength
1."She Loves Us"
  • Gira
  • Hahn
  • Harris
  • Pravdica
  • Puleo
  • Westberg
17:00
2."Kirsten Supine"Gira10:32
3."Oxygen"Gira7:58
4."Nathalie Neal"Gira10:14
5."To Be Kind"
  • Gira
  • Hahn
  • Harris
  • Pravdica
  • Puleo
  • Westberg
8:23
Total length:54:07
Vinyl version (Side one)
No.TitleLength
1."Screen Shot"8:07
2."Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)"12:20
Vinyl version (Side two)
No.TitleLength
1."A Little God in My Hands"6:35
2."Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture Part One"14:41
Vinyl version (Side three)
No.TitleLength
1."Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture Part Two"19:32
Vinyl version (Side four)
No.TitleLength
1."Some Things We Do"5:09
2."She Loves Us"15:04
Vinyl version (Side five)
No.TitleLength
1."Kirsten Supine"10:33
2."Oxygen"7:59
Vinyl version (Side six)
No.TitleLength
1."Nathalie Neal"10:15
2."To Be Kind"8:23
  • The European vinyl version was pressed incorrectly, leading "Oxygen" to be placed on side 5 before "Kirsten Supine" on the record, despite the packaging listing them in the correct order.
2CD+DVD Edition bonus videos (Live at Primavera 2013)[31][32]
No.TitleMusicLength
1."To Be Kind"
  • Gira
  • Hahn
  • Harris
  • Pravdica
  • Puleo
  • Westberg
20:41
2."Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)"
  • Gira
  • Hahn
  • Harris
  • Pravdica
  • Puleo
  • Westberg
10:46
3."Coward"
8:36
4."She Loves Us"
  • Gira
  • Hahn
  • Harris
  • Pravdica
  • Puleo
  • Westberg
18:17
5."Oxygen"Gira7:17
6."The Seer / Toussaint L'Ouverture"
  • Gira
  • Hahn
  • Harris
  • Pravdica
  • Puleo
  • Westberg
45:35
Total length:111:10

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from the official Young God Records website:[11]

Swans

Guest musicians

  • Little Annie – vocal duet with MG on "Some Things We Do"
  • Julia Kent – strings and string arrangement on "Some Things We Do"
  • St. Vincent – background vocals on "Nathalie Neal", "Bring the Sun", "Screen Shot", and "Kirsten Supine"
  • Cold Specks – background vocals on "Bring the Sun"
  • Jennifer Church – background vocals on "She Loves Us" and "A Little God in My Hands"

More musicians

Technical

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[33] 51
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 39
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] 106
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[36] 75
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 56
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 38
US Billboard 200[8] 37
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[38] 5
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[39] 7
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[40] 10

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label
Worldwide (except North America)[10] May 12, 2014 2CD, 2CD+DVD, 3LP, digital download Mute Records
North America[5] May 13, 2014 Young God Records

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

To Be Kind

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
To Be Kind is the thirteenth studio album by the American experimental rock band Swans, released on May 13, 2014, through Young God Records.[1] A double album comprising ten tracks that total nearly two hours in length, it builds on the band's post-reformation intensity with extended, repetitive compositions blending noise rock, post-rock, and drone elements.[2] The album was primarily produced by Swans' founder Michael Gira and recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in El Paso, Texas, with mixing handled by John Congleton in Dallas.[1][3] Developed from material debuted during the band's 2012–2013 tours and funded in part by supporters through a limited live release (Not Here / Not Now), To Be Kind features guest contributions from vocalists Little Annie, St. Vincent (Annie Clark), Cold Specks (Al Spx), and drummer Bill Rieflin, alongside core members Gira and guitarist Christoph Hahn.[1] Standout tracks include the 34-minute epic "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture," which incorporates funk and free-jazz influences, and the ritualistic closer "To Be Kind," emphasizing the album's themes of persistence, love, and sonic endurance.[2] Critics praised its hypnotic power and emotional depth, with Pitchfork awarding it a 9.2 out of 10, calling it a "mesmerizing spectacle" that expands Swans' scope.[2] The album peaked at number 37 on the Billboard 200.[4] In the context of Swans' discography, To Be Kind represents a pinnacle of their 2010s resurgence, following The Seer (2012) and preceding The Glowing Man (2016), solidifying the band's reputation for uncompromising, transformative live and recorded experiences. Its release marked a commercial breakthrough for the group, with the triple-LP vinyl edition becoming a collector's item due to its elaborate packaging and the album's demanding yet rewarding listening experience.[3]

Background and recording

Conception and development

Michael Gira envisioned To Be Kind as a natural extension of Swans' previous album The Seer (2012), seeking to expand upon its epic scope with even longer, more immersive compositions that emphasized repetition, dynamic range, and emotional intensity. In interviews, Gira described the new material as evolving organically from the band's rigorous touring schedule in 2012 and 2013, where initial song fragments were tested and refined live before being fleshed out in pre-production. This approach allowed for a bluesier, more groove-oriented sound compared to The Seer, while maintaining the project's core ethos of creating overwhelming, experiential music that demands full listener engagement.[5][6][7] During pre-production in late 2013, Gira recruited notable guest contributors to enrich the album's vocal layers, including St. Vincent (Annie Clark), who provided multi-tracked vocals on several tracks such as "Nathalie Neal," and Cold Specks, who contributed to a couple of songs with her distinctive, soulful delivery. These collaborations were integrated early in the process at rehearsals beginning in October 2013, adding depth and variety to the band's established lineup. Gira selected these artists for their unique timbres, aiming to contrast and complement the raw power of Swans' instrumentation. Rehearsals took place ahead of recording sessions at Sonic Ranch in Texas.[5][8][3] The album's conceptual influences drew from historical and literary sources, particularly evident in the track "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture," which Gira developed as a biographical ode to the Haitian Revolution leader Toussaint Louverture (1743–1803). Inspired by Madison Smartt Bell's All Souls' Rising trilogy, Gira incorporated phrases and imagery from Louverture's life, including his mastery as a horseman that aided victories against French forces during the slave revolt, symbolizing themes of liberation amid brutality. This historical lens infused the album with motifs of chaos, endurance, and paradoxical kindness, reflecting Gira's interest in evoking visceral, narrative-driven intensity.[5][6] For the album artwork, Gira collaborated with artist Bob Biggs, founder of Slash Records, who provided a series of surreal paintings from circa 1976 depicting distorted baby heads against vibrant yellow backgrounds. These images, recontextualized for the cover and packaging, evoke a duality of innocence and unease, tying into the album's exploration of kindness amid underlying turmoil and chaos. Gira selected them for their striking, otherworldly quality, which mirrored the music's immersive and unsettling emotional landscape.[3][9][10]

Recording sessions

The recording sessions for To Be Kind commenced with rehearsals in early October 2013 at Sonic Ranch studio in Tornillo, Texas, a remote facility near El Paso known for its isolation conducive to focused work, and continued through recording and mixing by mid-December 2013, with additional overdubs and mixing at John Congleton's Elmwood studio in Dallas, Texas.[1][11] The album was produced by Michael Gira, with Congleton serving as recording engineer, capturing the band's performances in a manner that emphasized their live energy.[1] The core lineup during these sessions included Michael Gira on vocals and guitar, Norman Westberg on guitar, Christoph Hahn on pedal and acoustic lap steel guitars, Christopher Pravdica on bass, Phil Puleo on drums and percussion, and Thor Harris on percussion, vibraphone, piano, and autoharp.[12] Additional contributors like Bill Rieflin appeared on guitar, synthesizer, and drums across various tracks.[12] Much of the album's material originated from extensive jamming during the band's 2012–2013 tours, where song fragments were expanded through hours-long improvisations, with Gira editing the resulting recordings into structured pieces back at his home studio.[5] This approach led to improvised, groove-based structures that could extend indefinitely, prioritizing hypnotic repetition and rhythmic drive over conventional song forms; for instance, "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture" developed from prolonged takes that built layers of intensity, culminating in its 34-minute runtime on the album.[5][13] Guest musicians enriched several tracks, including St. Vincent (Annie Clark), who provided multi-tracked background vocals on "Kirsten Supine," "Nathalie Neal," "Screen Shot," and "Bring the Sun," creating ethereal layers described by Gira as a "hovering mist."[3][5] Cold Specks contributed background vocals to "Bring the Sun," while Little Annie performed a duet with Gira on "Some Things We Do," and Jennifer Church added vocals to multiple songs including "She Loves Us" and "A Little God in My Hands."[3] Julia Kent arranged and played strings on "Some Things We Do."[3] Post-production involved meticulous mixing by Congleton in Dallas, where Gira oversaw layering to heighten the album's visceral, propulsive feel, drawing inspiration from the relentless grooves of artists like James Brown to sustain an overwhelming sense of momentum and emotional depth.[5] The final mastering was handled at micro-moose-berlin, preserving the recordings' raw power and dynamic range to evoke the intensity of the live performances.[11]

Composition and themes

Musical style

To Be Kind is classified as experimental rock, incorporating elements of post-rock, noise rock, and drone, with influences from blackened blues and swamp blues that contribute to its hypnotic and immersive quality.[2][14][15][16] The album's sound is defined by repetitive motifs and gradual builds that create wavelike currents of sound, often evolving from minimalist mantras into intense, overwhelming climaxes.[17][2] Tracks frequently employ polyrhythms and feedback, layered with dense instrumentation to produce a sense of ecstatic propulsion, as heard in the 34-minute epic "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture," which integrates field recordings of horse hooves and animal squeals for added textural depth.[2][17][18] The core instrumentation emphasizes heavy percussion from Thor Harris and Phil Puleo, who handle drums, bells, wind instruments, and additional percussive elements to drive propulsive grooves and mesmerizing cymbal attacks, while Christoph Hahn's pedal steel guitar adds shimmering, atmospheric tones amid droning and chopping electric guitars.[18][17][2] Dynamic shifts are a hallmark, transitioning from sparse, accessible grooves—bolstered by brass, synths, gongs, and layered guest vocals from artists like St. Vincent and Little Annie—to cacophonous barrages of battering-ram guitar blasts and spook-house drones.[2][15] Recorded and mixed by John Congleton, the album integrates tape loops and field recordings into the mix, enhancing its spacious, organic feel and contributing to a production that prioritizes taut, throbbing rhythms over sheer abrasiveness.[17] Compared to prior Swans works like The Seer (2012), To Be Kind offers increased accessibility through melodic hooks and a brighter energy, while retaining the band's signature intensity and commitment to sonic overload.[2][15] This evolution tempers the unrelenting grimness of earlier efforts with funereal yet listenable swamp-blues undertones, making the two-hour runtime a more approachable ritual of repetition and release.[16]

Lyrics and concepts

The lyrics of To Be Kind center on kindness as an aspirational response to brutality, positioning it as a defiant act of joy and positivity in a world marked by violence and struggle. Michael Gira, the album's primary lyricist, has explained that the title evokes a sense of uplift, culminating in the title track's closing lines—"There are millions and millions of stars in your eyes"—which suggest wonder and connection amid adversity. The title track itself employs mantra-like repetition of phrases such as "to be kind" to reinforce this theme, creating a hypnotic invocation that underscores kindness not as passive but as a deliberate counterforce to harsh realities.[6][19] Throughout the album, Gira explores power dynamics, spirituality, and human frailty through abstract vignettes rather than linear stories. In "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture," the lyrics draw from the Haitian Revolution, portraying the brutal cycles of slavery, rebellion, and vengeance to interrogate historical and personal imbalances of control. Spirituality emerges as a non-denominational pursuit, with Gira likening the creative process to a church-like ritual that fosters transcendence and completeness. Human vulnerability is starkly depicted in "Oxygen," where imagery of choking and gasping reflects Gira's own near-death experience with asphyxiation and chronic asthma, emphasizing the fragility of existence and the primal need for sustenance. Similarly, "A Little God in My Hands" confronts the imperfections inherent in god-like authority, blending awe with the absurdities of power.[6][5] Gira's writing process relies on stream-of-consciousness techniques, pulling from personal memories, historical events, literature, films, and moments of absurdity to generate raw, intuitive text that eschews conventional narratives. This approach favors ritualistic, evocative phrasing—often repetitive and incantatory—to induce trance-like immersion in the listener, prioritizing emotional and philosophical resonance over plot. Guest vocalists amplify this depth; for instance, Little Annie's duet with Gira on "Some Things We Do" infuses the track with a compassionate, world-weary timbre, drawing on her cabaret background to heighten the song's exploration of human actions and bonds. Other contributors, like Annie Clark (St. Vincent), provide layered harmonies that open up the lyrics' emotional space, balancing the album's intensity with nuanced vulnerability.[6][5][1]

Release and promotion

Singles

The lead single from To Be Kind, "A Little God in My Hands", was released digitally on March 21, 2014, through Young God Records, initially offered as a free download to preview the album's intense, driving sound.[20] The single's artwork drew from the album's six-part visual series created by conceptual artist Bob Biggs, with images that had long inspired Michael Gira, emphasizing abstract, monochromatic designs that complemented the record's thematic depth. No B-sides or remixes accompanied this release, focusing instead on the core track's seven-minute runtime. "Oxygen" followed as the second single on November 24, 2014, issued as a digital EP via Young God Records, featuring an edited version, an acoustic take, an early demo, and a live recording from the band's Primavera Sound performance earlier that year.[21] The EP highlighted guest vocalist Little Annie's contribution to the album version, adding soulful layers to the track's hypnotic rhythm, while the B-sides incorporated live interpretations from initial tour dates to showcase the song's evolving stage energy. Promotion included a label-uploaded performance video capturing the band's raw delivery.[22] In 2015, "Screen Shot" was distributed as a promotional CDr single exclusively for radio stations, lacking any commercial physical or digital formats.[23] The singles overall experienced limited commercial impact, failing to enter major charts but securing modest airplay on alternative and college radio outlets.

Marketing and formats

To Be Kind was released worldwide on May 12, 2014, through Mute Records, with the North American release following on May 13, 2014, via Young God Records.[8][24] The album was issued in multiple formats, including a standard double CD edition, a triple LP pressed on 180-gram vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve, and a digital download available in MP3 and FLAC.[12][3] A deluxe edition, exclusive to initial physical releases, bundled the double CD with a live DVD capturing Swans' performance at the 2013 Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, providing fans with a visual complement to the studio tracks.[25][26] Promotional efforts centered on building anticipation through media previews and artist commentary. NPR offered a full album stream as a "First Listen" on May 4, 2014, allowing early access to the two-hour runtime and highlighting its immersive qualities.[27] In interviews, Swans leader Michael Gira described the album as an intense, groove-driven evolution from prior works, emphasizing its hypnotic repetition and emotional depth to draw in listeners from experimental and noise rock circles.[5] The rollout also featured announcements spotlighting guest contributions from artists like St. Vincent, Cold Specks, and Little Annie, which garnered attention in alternative music communities and festival circuits.[8] Some European triple LP pressings encountered a manufacturing error, swapping the track order on side E between "Oxygen" and "Kirsten Supine," though this did not affect the standard CD or digital versions.[18] Initial distribution included standard black vinyl runs without colored variants, with pricing set around $14.98 for the double CD and $32.98 for the triple LP in North America, reflecting the album's expansive packaging and production costs.[28]

Touring and live performances

2014–2015 world tour

The 2014–2015 world tour in support of To Be Kind commenced in March 2014 with initial dates in Europe, including shows in France and the United Kingdom, before shifting to North America in May following the album's release. The extensive itinerary spanned over 160 concerts across multiple continents, with significant legs in the United States (57 shows), the United Kingdom (19 shows), Germany (13 shows), and Canada and France (6 shows each), among others like Italy, Norway, Poland, and Australia. Notable performances included a set at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12, 2014, and headline dates in major cities such as New York at Music Hall of Williamsburg and London at various venues like Electric Brixton. The tour concluded in July 2015 with final European dates, marking a year-long global promotion that showcased the band's endurance and reach.[29][30][31] Setlists during the tour heavily featured tracks from To Be Kind, often comprising approximately 70-80% of each performance, with staples like "Frankie M.," "A Little God in My Hands," "Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)," "Cloud of Forgetting," and the closing medley "Bring the Sun / The Glowing Man" appearing in nearly every show. These marathon sets typically lasted 2 to 3 hours, evolving slightly over the tour to incorporate more improvisational elements and occasional older material such as "Cloud of Unknowing" from The Seer (2012), reflecting the band's emphasis on immersive, ritualistic live experiences. The core lineup remained stable throughout, consisting of Michael Gira (vocals, guitar), Norman Westberg (guitar), Christoph Hahn (guitar), Chris Pravdica (bass), Phil Puleo (drums, percussion), and Thor Harris (multi-instrumentalist), with the group's chemistry enabling the sustained intensity of their performances.[32][33] The tour's demanding nature took a significant physical toll on the performers due to the unrelenting volume, duration, and emotional ferocity of the shows, often pushing members to the brink of exhaustion. Drummer Thor Harris recalled nearly passing out from the brute force required during the 2013–14 legs leading into To Be Kind promotion, while bassist Chris Pravdica and others frequently battled dehydration and fatigue from sweat loss in sweltering venues without air conditioning. Michael Gira himself collapsed onstage during a 2015 New York show in extreme heat (110°F), later admitting he felt he "had been trying to die," highlighting the psychic and bodily commitment involved. Occasional adjustments were made, such as mid-set intermissions for gear failures like amplifier malfunctions, to accommodate the strain without fully halting the momentum.[34]

Notable live renditions

One of the most striking aspects of Swans' live renditions of To Be Kind material was the extended improvisation of "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture," which often stretched beyond 40 minutes onstage, far exceeding its 34-minute studio length.[6] This piece evolved directly from live jamming sessions originating in the prior album The Seer, with bandleader Michael Gira noting that it grew organically through performance, incorporating repetitive motifs and dynamic builds that invited audience immersion.[35] Swans previewed key tracks from To Be Kind at major festivals prior to the album's release, including the 2013 Primavera Sound in Barcelona, where they debuted the title track, "Just a Little Boy," "She Loves Us," and an early version of "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture," showcasing the band's raw, unrelenting energy in a set that blended new material with established pieces.[36] Similarly, at the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror festival in Melbourne that same year, the band performed "To Be Kind" alongside previews like "Mother of the World / Screen Shot," highlighting the album's expansive, immersive sound in a festival context.[37] Official video documentation of these performances was released alongside the album, with the deluxe edition featuring a DVD of the full 2013 Primavera Sound set, preserving the visceral intensity of the preview show for wider audiences.[3] Additional live recordings from the 2014 tour, including selections from To Be Kind, appeared in later compilations like Not Here / Not Now, further capturing the band's evolving interpretations.[38] Fans and critics frequently highlighted the hypnotic, ritualistic atmosphere of these renditions, describing how the prolonged repetitions and building crescendos created a trance-like communal experience, often leaving audiences exhausted yet exhilarated by the performances' meditative depth.[39][40]

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews

Upon its release in May 2014, To Be Kind garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning a Metacritic score of 88 out of 100 based on 35 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim," and an AnyDecentMusic? aggregate of 8.6 out of 10.[41][42] Critics frequently praised the album's expansive, immersive scope and emotional depth, with Pitchfork awarding it 9.2 out of 10 and describing it as a "mesmerizing spectacle of an omnipotent band whose sound continues to expand in scope," highlighting Michael Gira's evolution toward a more hypnotic and cathartic intensity.[2] The Guardian granted it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, commending its "perfectly listenable swamp blues" and the raw emotional power that Gira channels through repetitive, ritualistic structures.[16] Spin rated it 9 out of 10, noting how the album reaches new peaks in post-rock territory by balancing brutal extremes with moments of transcendent release, further underscoring Gira's growth from early industrial harshness to a more nuanced, overwhelming force.[43] Genre-specific publications echoed this enthusiasm for the album's experimental innovation; The Wire lauded its bold fusion of noise, drone, and blues elements as a pinnacle of avant-garde rock evolution.[44] However, not all responses were unqualified; some reviewers critiqued the album's nearly two-hour length and repetitive motifs as occasionally testing listener endurance, exemplified by Rolling Stone's 3.5 out of 5 stars, which acknowledged the cathartic intensity but found the sprawl somewhat exhausting.[15] Reception showed regional variations, with stronger acclaim in the UK and Europe—where outlets like The Guardian and Drowned in Sound (10/10) celebrated its immersive ritualism—compared to more mixed responses in the U.S. mainstream, where the album's demanding scale drew both admiration and reservations.[16][45]

Retrospective evaluations

In the decade following its release, To Be Kind has solidified its reputation as a pinnacle of Swans' oeuvre, frequently regarded as the band's magnum opus for its ambitious fusion of repetition, intensity, and emotional depth. A 2014 assessment in Hyperallergic encapsulated this view by dubbing it the "magnum opus cycnorum," praising its ability to evoke a primal, transformative listening experience akin to a ritualistic awakening.[46] Marking the album's 10-year anniversary in 2024, retrospectives among fans and critics reaffirmed its enduring appeal, with user scores on Album of the Year averaging 89/100 from over 8,700 ratings, reflecting broad acclaim for its hypnotic grooves and structural innovation.[47] Music journals and fan discussions have positioned To Be Kind as a catalyst in the noise rock revival of the 2010s, drawing on Swans' no wave roots to reinvigorate the genre's emphasis on sonic endurance and catharsis. When compared to later Swans releases such as The Glowing Man (2016), To Be Kind stands out for its peak accessibility, featuring more pronounced rhythmic drive and melodic anchors amid the noise, which Pitchfork noted as a contrast to the subsequent album's ethereal, less propulsive sprawl.[48] Critical consensus has shifted notably from contemporaneous complaints about the record's sprawling two-hour runtime—highlighted in Drowned in Sound's description of it as an exhaustive "odyssey"—toward recognition of its stamina-building design, especially in live contexts where the extended tracks foster communal immersion and escalating tension. By 2025, the album's September reissue has sparked fresh evaluations celebrating its ageless experimentation, with recent user critiques on Album of the Year lauding its blend of avant-garde hostility and gothic catchiness as timelessly vital.[49][50]

Commercial performance and legacy

Chart positions

To Be Kind debuted at number 37 on the US Billboard 200 chart, representing the highest peak position achieved by Swans on that ranking.[4] The album also entered the UK Albums Chart at number 38, another career-best performance for the band.[51] Additionally, it reached number 5 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.[52] Internationally, the album charted modestly, peaking at number 39 on Belgium's Ultratop 200 Albums (Flanders).[53] First-week sales in the United States were 8,000 units, contributing to its initial chart success.[54] The album's commercial performance was bolstered by synergy with Swans' extensive touring schedule and positive critical reception, which encouraged physical sales including vinyl editions popular among collectors.[52] To Be Kind did not receive any major awards or nominations.

Cultural impact and reissues

To Be Kind has exerted a significant influence on the experimental rock landscape, particularly within post-rock and noise genres. Bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor have acknowledged Swans' broader impact on their sound, with early works drawing from the intense, immersive structures pioneered by Michael Gira's project, a lineage that extends into the repetitive, epic builds characteristic of To Be Kind.[web:15] Similarly, artist Kristin Hayter, performing as Lingua Ignota, has cited Swans as a key influence, incorporating elements of their raw emotional intensity and thematic depth into her own explorations of trauma and power, echoing the album's visceral drone and cathartic releases.[web:28] The record contributed to the 2010s resurgence of drone and noise rock by emphasizing extended, hypnotic compositions that blurred boundaries between rock, ambient, and industrial sounds, inspiring a wave of artists to embrace lengthier, more immersive formats.[web:78] Within Swans' discography, To Be Kind stands as a capstone to the band's 2010s revival era, encapsulating the evolution from noise-driven aggression to sprawling, groove-oriented epics following the reformation in 2010.[web:77] Michael Gira has reflected on this period in recent interviews as a transformative phase, highlighting the album's role in redefining the band's live and recorded identity through rigorous, collaborative experimentation.[web:47] The album saw reissues in subsequent years to meet ongoing demand. In September 2025, Young God Records released a double CD reissue, maintaining the original tracklist without alterations.[web:30] Earlier, a limited-edition red triple LP, signed by Gira and restricted to 500 copies, was issued in 2022, featuring the full double album spread across three vinyl discs.[web:99] Marking its tenth anniversary in 2024, To Be Kind prompted retrospective coverage, including articles analyzing its enduring numbness and philosophical weight in contemporary rock.[web:51] Fan communities organized tributes, while the album's legacy was further explored in broader discussions of Swans' evolution. Culturally, To Be Kind appears in media examining post-punk and experimental music histories. It is referenced in the 2019 documentary Where Does a Body End?, which chronicles Swans' trajectory from no-wave roots through their 2010s resurgence, underscoring the album's place in the band's monumental output.[web:132] Tracks from the record have also informed film aesthetics; for instance, the song "Kirsten Supine" drew direct inspiration from Lars von Trier's 2011 film Melancholia, capturing its themes of existential dread for intense cinematic scenes.[55]

Credits

Track listing

To Be Kind is a double album consisting of ten tracks spread across two discs in its standard CD edition.[12]

Disc one

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Screen Shot"Michael Gira8:04
2."Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)12:39
3."A Little God in My Hands"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)7:08
4."Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)34:05
5."Some Things We Do"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)5:09
Total length:67:05

Disc two

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She Loves Us"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)17:00
2."Kirsten Supine"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)10:32
3."Oxygen"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)7:58
4."Nathalie Neal"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Hahn, Harris (music)10:14
5."To Be Kind"Gira (lyrics); Gira, Westberg, Hahn, Puleo, Harris, Pravdica (music)8:23
Total length:54:07
All lyrics were written by Michael Gira, with music composed by Gira and the other Swans members on most tracks. The album's overall length is 121:12.[12][1] In the triple vinyl edition, the tracks are divided across six sides to accommodate the extended runtime, with "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture" split into parts across sides B and C; side E features "Oxygen" and "Kirsten Supine" in that order, though some pressings note a sequencing discrepancy.[18] The deluxe edition includes a bonus DVD featuring a live performance from the band's set at Primavera Sound 2013 in Barcelona, comprising tracks such as "To Be Kind," "Just a Little Boy," "Coward," "She Loves Us," "Oxygen," and "The Seer / Toussaint L'Ouverture."[56][3]

Personnel

The core lineup of Swans for To Be Kind consisted of Michael Gira on vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, and production; Norman Westberg on electric and acoustic guitar and vocals; Christoph Hahn on lap steel and electric guitar and vocals; Thor Harris on drums, percussion, vibraphone, bells, wind instruments, handmade viola, and vocals; Christopher Pravdica on bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and vocals; and Phil Puleo on drums, percussion, dulcimer, piano, keys, and vocals.[1] Guest musicians included St. Vincent (Annie Clark) providing background vocals on "Screen Shot", "Nathalie Neal", "Bring the Sun", and "Kirsten Supine"; Cold Specks (Al Spx) on background vocals for "Bring the Sun"; Little Annie on duet vocals with Gira for "Some Things We Do"; Bill Rieflin on drums, percussion, piano, bass, guitar, synths, and keyboards across multiple tracks; Julia Kent on cello for "Some Things We Do"; and Jennifer Church on background vocals for "She Loves Us" and "A Little God in My Hands".[1][12][8] Additional musicians recorded in Dallas were Daniel Hart on violin, Rex Emerson on mandolin, David Pierce on trombone, Evan Weiss on trumpet, Sean Kirkpatrick on piano, harpsichord, and synth, and John Congleton on piano.[1] The album was produced by Michael Gira, with recording and mixing by John Congleton at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Texas, and his studio in Dallas, Texas; Charles Godfrey served as assistant engineer.[1][57] It was mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose in Berlin.[56][57] Art direction and design were handled by Michael Gira, with original baby images artwork by Bob Biggs.[12][18]

References

  1. To Be Kind - Swans Bandcamp
  2. Swans: To Be Kind Album Review | Pitchfork
  3. To Be Kind - SWANS - YOUNG GOD RECORDS
  4. Swans - To Be Kind - Reviews - Album of The Year
  5. This Is My Sermon: M Gira Of Swans Speaks To John Doran
  6. Swans | Pitchfork
  7. Interview: Michael Gira of Swans | The Line of Best Fit
  8. Swans Announce New Album To Be Kind Featuring St. Vincent ...
  9. Best Fit Artwork of the Year 2014: Swans - To Be Kind
  10. https://pitchfork.com/news/54441-swans-share-new-song-a-little-god-in-our-hands-six-part-art-for-new-album-to-be-kind/
  11. https://www.discogs.com/release/5690090-Swans-To-Be-Kind
  12. Swans - To Be Kind
  13. Michael Gira Explains Why Drones Are Central To The Sound Of ...
  14. To Be Kind - Swans | Album - AllMusic
  15. Swans 'To Be Kind' Album Review - Rolling Stone
  16. Swans: To Be Kind review – perfectly listenable swamp blues
  17. New albums by the Black Keys and Swans - The New York Times
  18. Swans - To Be Kind
  19. Swans' Michael Gira: A Brutal Kindness - Consequence.net
  20. Swans Share New Song "A Little God in My Hands", Six-Part Art for ...
  21. Swans Announce Oxygen EP | Pitchfork
  22. SWANS "OXYGEN" (TO BE KIND) - YouTube
  23. https://www.discogs.com/release/6967006-Swans-Screen-Shot
  24. https://www.discogs.com/release/11653985-Swans-To-Be-Kind
  25. To Be Kind: CDs & Vinyl - Amazon.com
  26. SWANS "TO BE KIND" DVD TRAILER - YouTube
  27. First Listen: Swans, 'To Be Kind' - NPR
  28. To Be Kind: CDs & Vinyl - Amazon.com
  29. Swans Concert Map: 2014-2015 World Tour - Setlist.fm
  30. Swans on tour 2014-2015 World Tour - Guestpectacular
  31. Swans announce 2014 tour dates
  32. Average setlist for tour: 2014-2015 World Tour - Swans - Setlist.fm
  33. Swans Tour Statistics: 2014-2015 World Tour - Setlist.fm
  34. Swans Talk Pushing Their Bodies, Live Performances to Dangerous ...
  35. Interview with Michael Gira of Swans focusing on "To Be Kind"
  36. Swans Setlist at Primavera Sound 2013
  37. Swans Setlist at ATP I'll Be Your Mirror Melbourne 2013
  38. Swans – The Seer/Bring The Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture (Live) Lyrics
  39. Swans - To Be Kind (album review 6) | Sputnikmusic
  40. Swans - To be Kind - ReGen Magazine
  41. To Be Kind by Swans Reviews and Tracks - Metacritic
  42. To Be Kind by Swans reviews | Any Decent Music
  43. Swans' 'To Be Kind' Is a Monolithic Orgy of Blood, Guts, and…Love
  44. https://www.metacritic.com/music/to-be-kind/swans/critic-reviews/?publication=the-wire
  45. Album Review: Swans - To Be Kind - // Drowned In Sound
  46. Magnum Opus Cycnorum - Hyperallergic
  47. Swans - To Be Kind - User Reviews - Album of The Year
  48. Swans — To Be Kind | The Quietus
  49. Swans: The Glowing Man Album Review | Pitchfork
  50. https://www.discogs.com/release/35516422-Swans-To-Be-Kind
  51. Swans - To Be Kind review by nafoo19 - Album of The Year
  52. Swans enter Billboard Top 40 with 'To Be Kind' - Treble
  53. TO BE KIND – SWANS - Official Charts
  54. SWANS - Swamp Booking
  55. Ultratop 200 Albums (Flandria) - notowania To Be Kind Swans na ...
  56. https://www.discogs.com/release/5680453-Swans-To-Be-Kind
  57. To Be Kind - Album by Swans - Apple Music
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