2007, Bluhammock
Thick guitars and elegant vocals mark this debut release from Swati as a rousing, high-energy record from a skilled songwriter. This self-titled release is filled with atmospheric and moody musings on an acoustic guitar in recordings packed with reverb to create a record that doesn't take any breaks to create the stylistic approach found here.
This really is an effective record: the lyrics are sincere, the vocals doubly so. If Swati was singing about puppies and rainbows, the effect would be different — but not that different. The power of her voice is in that it is filled with power and emotion and is undoubtedly beautiful, it is still a little rough around the edges. Swati is no American Idol-contender; she's a strong woman that's not afraid to make that known — she shows this clearly in tracks like “MF,” in which she holds little back from public view.
Small Gods is a good record that's driven by strong vocals, quality instrumentation, and some plain-old good songwriting. Swati is exciting when stripped down, but with a more full sound, put up for examination in “Stay,” she's inviting and utterly inspiring. When put in succession, a breathtakingly seductive album emerges.