Album Of The Week

"Emma Swifts 'The Resurrecction Game” kommer 5 år efter hennes senaste skiva, där hon tolkade låtar av självaste Bob Dylan. I det här fallet är det vackra och ödesmättade toner, som träffar likt en handske från boxare som går på knock. Egentligen är det träffsäkert hela vägen bland de 10 låtarna, där kanske titellåten, inledande 'Nothing And Forever' och 'No Happy Endings' sticker ut en aning. Men det är samtidigt lugnt och kompet är sparsamt, och det blixtrar sällan till så att man trillar av stolen. Men det är väldigt bra och man vill ha mer av den här varan. Hur som helst en ny bekantskap som låter mer än nödvändigt bra. Till detta en stämma som verkligen sticker ut. Emma Swift, hon kan hon! Dessutom trevligt med en ny bekantskap."

- Torbjörn Berlin / Berlin Calling -

"Det här är framförallt en artist som berättar om kärleksrelationer, och hur perspektiv och livet tar tag i de människor som Emma Swift sjunger om, och berättar vad som sker med dem. Tankarna som formas av låtarna karaktärer och hur deras liv ter sig för dem. Emma Swift är en klassisk singer songwriter och skapar sin värld som bara hon kan med sina låt-texter. Emma Swift gör harmonisk musik och får den leva upp inför mig som lyssnare."

- Micheles Kindh / Blaskan -

"This is Emma Swift’s 1st full length collection of all original material and eagerly anticipated follow up to 2020’s 'Blonde On The Tracks', which earned worldwide praise for the Sydney, Australia, born, Nashville based artist’s inspired reimagining of 8 classic Bob Dylan songs through her own unique musical perspective."

- Kenneth Bremer / Blue Desert -

"Emma Swift’s debut album was a pointer towards an artist with a keen eye for reconstructing cover songs, but 'The Resurrection Game' raises the bar to an entirely different level. It may have taken illness and debilitation to trigger this project, and I certainly didn’t see this coming, but the upshot is a spectacular accomplishment of impeccable song crafting with tailor made arrangements."

- Declan Culliton / Lonesome Highway -

"Emma Swift's 'The Resurrection Game' succeeds as both personal statement and artistic milestone. Swift’s willingness to address difficult subject matter directly demonstrates real courage, and her voice remains compelling throughout. It achieves something meaningful, transforming private pain into music that speaks to universal experiences of loss and recovery. The stronger tracks reveal Swift as a songwriter of genuine talent, capable of finding poetry in darkness, without resorting to easy sentiment. For listeners drawn to honest, emotionally direct music, 'The Resurrection Game' offers substantial rewards and suggests that Swift’s journey as an original artist is just beginning."

- Mark Pelavin / Americana Highways -

"This is such a good record, as Emma Swift so eloquently comments on it. 'Hard times are a part of the seasons of any person’s life. You don’t have to have an acute mental health crisis to understand this. Everyone experiences grief, pain, tremendous suffering, at one time or another. I wouldn’t want to live through that particular season again, but I feel duty bound to honor it. And so I have'. It’s an album to live with, as it gets better and better with repeat listens."

- Peter Thompson / Americana UK -

"Emma Swift's new album, 'The Resurrection Game', can be construed in many ways, the joy of this record is that you can make of it what you wish. When you dig into the minutiae you will hear a person baring all. With naked emotion like this, it is hard not to love this record for its brutality and honesty. Emma Swift should be lauded for making such a record. 'The Resurrection Game' is a superb collection of songs that will make the coldest of souls feel."

- Dominic Walsh / At The Barrier -

"In 2020, Australian singer songwriter Swift was basking in a flood of critical acclaim for her Dylan reinterpretations album 'Blonde On The Tracks'. However, that was followed not long after by a 7 week nervous breakdown that saw her sectioned and over a year of recovery. Aptly titled, written between 2022 and 2024, this album, 'The Resurrection Game', her 1st of original material, marks her re-emergence, transforming personal struggle into music that speaks of the challenges faced and the support systems and inner strength that pulled her through. It is at times heavy going, Swift describing it as a bummer of a record, but the emotion within it, and the arrangements and string quartet orchestrations that frame it, are anything but despairing or downbeat as she faces her sadness and pain head on."

- Mike Davies / Fatea Magazine -

"Emma Swift’s 1st album of original songs is a wonderful record for nasty times, dressed in the most sumptuous clothing. It’s an outstanding success. Spend some time on social media (or rather, don’t!) and you’ll be quickly drawn into a relentless round of horrific images and manufactured anger and hatred. It takes a toll and, musically, leads to too many jagged, harsh and ugly songs. Emma Swift is coming to the rescue. Accept the rich beauty of her songs for a respite from the unloveliness of the world outside, even as you know that it will still be there when you leave. Listening to her songs is like coming to after a difficult operation and finding angels there to hold your hand."

- Pop In The Real World -

"It's the clarity of Emma Swift's voice that commands the listener's attention, drawing one into the world that Swift creates in each song. While the overall feeling of the music resides in the broad church of americana, Swift's voice retains an indie pop inflection that would blend just as easily into a song by Belle And Sebastian."

- Trevor Raggatt / Rock'N'Reel Magazine -

"Until now, I only knew the album 'Blonde On The Tracks', with which Emma Swift covered songs by Bob Dylan. But 'The Resurrection Game' is different because here she focuses entirely on herself and her very personal way of writing and interpreting songs. And she succeeds very well and very individually, here she speaks her language! It is not easy from an objective point of view to distinguish the songs in terms of their importance and quality, because I think they are all very impressive and equipped with corresponding peculiarities. Subjectively, the opening song, 'Nothing And Forever', sticks with me due to the immediate experience of the first listen, it gives me a certain tingling in the stomach area and radiates a great peace and beauty for me. This may be the case for every listener with a different song."

- Wolfgang Giese / Musik An Sich -

"Not many musicians are given the opportunity to make an indelible impression with a series of Bob Dylan covers, but Emma Swift did it and shows on 'The Resurrection Game' that this was certainly no fluke. The Australian, but now Nashville based musician, Emma Swift released an album with only Bob Dylan covers after a successful mini album. That was quite daring, but it worked out great with the excellent 'Blonde On The Tracks'. It has put quite a bit of pressure on the always difficult 2nd album, but that is not noticeable on 'The Resurrection Game'. It's an album that once again impresses with beautiful sounds and the even more beautiful voice of Emma Swift, but the album, made together with quite a few top forces from Nashville, also shows that this Australian musician is a great songwriter. Great album, especially now that autumn is coming."

- Erwin Zijleman / De Krenten Uit De Pop -

"Emma Swift may not be a particularly experienced artist with just a few albums to her name, but she delivers a captivating album with 'The Resurrection Game'. It's only her 1st album with original material, but what she delivers simply must be noticed and listened to by many music lovers. Over the past few days, I've come to appreciate it immensely and sometimes find myself amazed at how beautiful it all sounds. Let yourself be seduced by Emma Swift and 'The Resurrection Game', you won't be disappointed."

- William van Voorbergen / Orange Flag Music -

"5 years ago we learned about singer songwriter Emma Swift when she released ‘Blonde On The Tracks’ with her cover versions of Bob Dylan songs. But now, here is her 1st solo album, ‘The Resurrection Game’, with 10 self composed songs in which she is demonstrating her pure vocal class. Emotions, intimacy, romance and love are all floating around in each and every song on this very strong album.“

- Valére Sampermans / Rootstime -

"The new album, 'The Resurrection Game', composed entirely of self composed songs, references a difficult period in Swift's life, a nervous breakdown followed by a year of recovery and reflection. Swift incorporates this period into her songwriting. Swift's delicate vocals are flanked by producer Jordan Lehning and superb session musicians, along with beautiful contributions from a string quartet, a combination that further enhances the melancholic mood with striking musical illustrations. Subtle musical snapshots that exude Emma Swift's often difficult existence and offer the listener some solace in these harsh times."

- Cis van Looy / Written In Music -