Sway Clarke sauntered onto the scene with the aptly named “I Don’t Need Much”. Appropriate when referring to his sparse instrumentation that allows him to lazily drizzle his crisp vocals and honest lyrics across the top. He returns with his first major label release with his debut EP – Bad Love.
The Bad Love EP opens with the soothing piano chords and the pulsating bass-line of the title track. Bad Love is a pop behemoth, casually combining Maroon 5 and Massive Attack and with Clarke crooning of how we all hide our failing love lives – the lyrics unequivocally reminding me of every “couple” on the hateful show Love Island – this track proves it is still possible to write a unique pop song.
But despite that, Clarke’s outstanding song on this record is Tangerine. Quoted saying: “It has been a nightmare to clear, sample-wise. But I will not give up because it is one of the most beautiful songs I have written.” It has definitely been worth all the work; Tangerine is a complex track full of gorgeous moments and is another big step in the right direction for Clarke as he finds his place in the music industry.
Naturally I Don’t Need Much makes an appearance on the EP, it would be criminal to leave a track so influential to Sway Clarke’s meteoric rise off his major label debut. The song that cemented his R&B style and defined where he would be taking his music, while still harking back to his jazzy vibe that he embraced for his seductive cover album Quiet. It’s My ‘90s Mixtape (His Girls and Boys cover is mesmerising). It would almost be criminal not to milk it. The bonus track on this EP is I Don’t Need Much pt. 2 – a darker take on the song that catapulted him to here, with a heavier up-tempo 808 beat underneath.
In the penultimate track, Deepak Chopra, Sway is at his candid best, captivating the listener for four minutes with simply an acoustic guitar and the direct delivery of his frank lyrics. He weaves tales of drunken nights out and explores what Sway describes as “Whether all party-goers have psychological issues or responsibly lose their minds for a weekend or two.” His ad lib laughter only adds to the honest feel, whilst the quiet natter of conversation casts a relaxed, humble, open-mic-night style backdrop.
Sway Clarke is one to watch. His calm singing voice reels you in, while his lyrics hold you close. His songs are poignant poems set to intelligent music and there is a genuine sincerity to his writing and preforming that is desperately missing in today’s music.
Listen to the Bad Love EP below.
Words by Tom A. Spencer