Long Distance Swimmer
Encyclopedia
Long Distance Swimmer is the fourth studio album released by Irish
singer-songwriter Adrian Crowley
. It was recorded during a one week period in the home of Crowley's sister in the suburb of Foxrock
, County Dublin
, was released on the Tin Angel record label, and features contributions from other musicians, such as James Yorkston
. Long Distance Swimmer was nominated for the Choice Music Prize
for Irish Album of the Year 2007.
said it was "a lo-furnished, snug, auburn-tinged folk album which calls to mind Bill Callahan, Johnny Cash
, and Edwyn Collins
". The Irish Independents John Meagher named it his favourite album of 2007 and his sixteenth best Irish album of the decade, while his colleague Eamon Sweeney suggested Crowley's record was one of the few Irish albums preventing that year from being "an absolute stinker". Lauren Murphy, who reviewed the Long Distance Swimmer for entertainment.ie
, gave it three out of five stars and said it was "certainly the sort of album that's best appreciated when aligned with a certain mood; but, nonetheless, like its title, it has a determined durability that can only be admired". Ian Gittins, who reviewed Long Distance Swimmer for The Guardian
, also gave it three out of five stars and called the record "a lo-fi, high-intensity collection of acoustic musings that suggest Van Morrison
singing with Red House Painters
", adding "Crowley's rich brown croon inevitably recalls Nick Drake
or Tim Buckley
, but a more apposite musical touchstone is Badly Drawn Boy
, or the Divine Comedy
's Neil Hannon
eschewing his clever-clever wordplay in order to sink into a sepia reverie". Ed Power, who reviewed the album for Hot Press
, gave it four out of five stars and called Long Distance Swimmer "a goose-bump inducing collection of folk ballads and bare-boned post-rock".
's Super Extra Bonus Party LP
.
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Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
singer-songwriter Adrian Crowley
Adrian Crowley
Adrian Crowley is a singer–songwriter from Galway but based in Dublin. Despite being born in Sliema, Malta, much of his success has come in Ireland....
. It was recorded during a one week period in the home of Crowley's sister in the suburb of Foxrock
Foxrock
Foxrock is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, in the postal district of Dublin 18 and in the parish of Foxrock.-History:...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, was released on the Tin Angel record label, and features contributions from other musicians, such as James Yorkston
James Yorkston
-Music career:A native of Fife, James Yorkston was an integral early member of the Fence Collective whose reach across contemporary music continues to lengthen: King Creosote, The Aliens, KT Tunstall, The Beta Band...
. Long Distance Swimmer was nominated for the Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
for Irish Album of the Year 2007.
Reception
Long Distance Swimmer was released as soon as it was recorded as, according to Crowley, he became "fed up waiting". It was recorded with engineer Stephen Shannon. The record received positive reviews and was nominated for the Choice Music Prize. The NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
said it was "a lo-furnished, snug, auburn-tinged folk album which calls to mind Bill Callahan, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, and Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Stephen Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish musician, playing mostly electric guitar-driven pop. Collins formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which later became Orange Juice...
". The Irish Independents John Meagher named it his favourite album of 2007 and his sixteenth best Irish album of the decade, while his colleague Eamon Sweeney suggested Crowley's record was one of the few Irish albums preventing that year from being "an absolute stinker". Lauren Murphy, who reviewed the Long Distance Swimmer for entertainment.ie
Entertainment.ie
entertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
, gave it three out of five stars and said it was "certainly the sort of album that's best appreciated when aligned with a certain mood; but, nonetheless, like its title, it has a determined durability that can only be admired". Ian Gittins, who reviewed Long Distance Swimmer for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, also gave it three out of five stars and called the record "a lo-fi, high-intensity collection of acoustic musings that suggest Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
singing with Red House Painters
Red House Painters
Red House Painters were an alternative rock group formed in 1989 in San Francisco, California by singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek.-History:While in Atlanta, Georgia, Ohio-born Kozelek became friends with Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. He then moved to San Francisco, California, adding guitarist Gorden...
", adding "Crowley's rich brown croon inevitably recalls Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
or Tim Buckley
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound...
, but a more apposite musical touchstone is Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
, or the Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy (band)
The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...
's Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
eschewing his clever-clever wordplay in order to sink into a sepia reverie". Ed Power, who reviewed the album for Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
, gave it four out of five stars and called Long Distance Swimmer "a goose-bump inducing collection of folk ballads and bare-boned post-rock".
Awards
Long Distance Swimmer was nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2007 but lost to Super Extra Bonus PartySuper Extra Bonus Party
Super Extra Bonus Party were a Choice Music Prize winning indie-electronica band, formed in November 2005 and based in Kildare, Ireland. Their music spanned various genres such as electronica, indie and hip hop...
's Super Extra Bonus Party LP
Super Extra Bonus Party LP
Super Extra Bonus Party LP is the title of Super Extra Bonus Party's debut Choice Music Prize winning album. It was released on April 13, 2007. It has received much critical acclaim in Ireland and has been called "the most inventive Irish album this decade" and "contender for Irish album of the...
.
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| 2009 || Long Distance Swimmer || Irish Album of the Year 2007 ||
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