A few weeks ago I caught one of those short reels that pop up on social media for a tune by Liverpool band The Sway. The clip was enchanting, offering just 20 seconds or so of a song whose rhythm, pacing and mix of instrumentation was both alluring and a bit mesmerizing. But the clip didn’t identify the name of the song. So that led to a rabbit hole search to find out about the band and their catalogue. Yet after I had needle-dropped my way through their handful of available material I was no closer to finding the mystery cut. Trolling through their recent social media posts did eventually turn up the song’s title: “Bright Eyes.” Talk about playing hard to get. The band was teasing fans with snippets of the song and what appeared to be a video or live performance while making us wait weeks for the final reveal. Turns out the track was the final addition to the group’s latest EP World in a Picture, which finally emerged into the full light of day at the end of August. Getting to hear the whole song was even more of a revelation. The basic, mildly propulsive verses remain a point of extreme attraction but now we can hear the dynamite bridge and chorus too. Stylistically and sonically, the song marks a distinct departure from their usual more indie-rock material, emphasizing a lighter, poppier jangly vibe. It’s an effort that one could favourably compare to fellow up-and-coming Liverpudlians Keyside.

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I’m liking where this band is going with their latest release so I’m going to keep my eye on them. You can too at these fine social media establishments.