On Surreal Number, Swarming Branch’s new LP, the group has temporarily suspended some of its formal experimentation to create a straightforward collection of ten songs. And, after three releases as Andrew Graham & Swarming Branch, they’ve also pared down their name. There’s still a lot going on here. Over Lon Leary’s spare yet danceable drumming, we hear folk songs that move beyond the boundaries of four-chord strum, brief yet satisfying references to early-70’s British glam rock, and quite a bit of improvisation (mostly courtesy of keyboard virtuoso Dane Terry) in songs like “Diamonds in the Distance,” “Zsazsur’s Real Estate Song,” and “Love in Extra Innings.” The album was recorded with engineer Drew Fischer and producer Rob Barbato (Drinks, Kevin Morby, Peaking Lights, et al), who helped the Branch find a thicker, more neatly arranged sound while keeping a playful yet assertive spirit that makes every song seem both unlikely and inevitable
