Jimmy Swift Band

Would it be wrong of us to assume that the Jimmy Swift Band have a dude in the group named Jimmy Swift? Apparently yes, though it may say something of the under-the-radar career of these hard-touring Halifax rockers that such a mistake can still be made. As such, Weight Of The World, the band’s third studio album, finds the quartet seeking to up their profile by steering away from the anonymous jam band ethos from which they sprang in favour of a more overtly marketable destination. This takes them to some interesting musical places, whether it be U2-ish arena rock ("Immobilized,” "Evacuation”), exercises in AC/DC-style monster riffage ("Road Rage”) synth-driven dance-rock ("2012”) or some unexpected combination thereof ("Turnaround,” "Onward Through The Fog”). And though WOTW still contains a free-flowing noodle or two for old times’ sake, this certainly feels like an all-out bid for commercial recognition. It remains to be seen, of course, whether it will succeed in making Jimmy Swift a household name.