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Sword II is the product of a left-field Atlanta DIY scene that, about a decade ago, was thriving. To witness it then, under the crumbling ceiling of WonderRoot, the surreal Rowdy Dowdy, or its epicenter, the Mammal Gallery, was to witness a cultural collision. Any $5 show might’ve featured garage-rock psychedelia, a blistering noise set, and SoundCloud rap groups of the Awful Records ilk under the same roof. While rock was the predominant sound, a mutant form of rap music emerged on the periphery before it went on to dominate popular culture in years to come. For a moment, the scene felt like a renaissance. But after the closure of nearly all independent venues in the city, momentum fizzled.
Sword II formed during this dissolution. Their three members have long histories in Atlanta’s underground: Mari González comes from the dream-pop trio Kibi James, Travis Arnold plays guitar in the hardcore band Playytime, and Certain Zuko fronted the indie-rock band Sea Ghost and was a founding member of the regionally successful rap group Larry League. Since their 2020 EP, Sword II have developed a sound from screeching guitars and moribund lyrics. This approach culminated on their 2023 debut, Spirit World Tour, an abrasive, isolating record inspired by protests during the Black Lives Matter and #StopCopCity movements. Their latest album, Electric Hour, fuses their looming paranoia with a renewed optimism.
Electric Hour favors beauty over brutality: The tones are soft, and the harmonies are lush. This more intimate sound was largely inadvertent, as the old farmhouse they recorded the album in had faulty wiring, causing the group to use more acoustic guitars to avoid electrical shocks. Accordingly, they adopted an approach of simply “passing guitars around, [and] writing lyrics with and for each other,” rather than sitting on their computers splicing, as they did on SWT. Electric Hour is more legible by comparison, sticking to basic structures that allow the trio to flex their songwriting abilities rather than their technical aptitude. (They do let it rip at times, though, like on the delirious outros of “Disconnection” and “Halogen.”)
Each member takes a turn on guitar, bass, and vocals. González’s voice is wispy and affecting; Zuko’s wounded tenor has a disarming charm; Arnold’s throaty whisper provides a layer of melodrama. While the tracks starring González may be their strongest (“Sugarcane,” “Even If It’s Just a Dream”), the most engaging moments arrive when they volley off each other, like on “Gun You Hold.” It begins as a brooding, sinister track led by off-kilter guitar with Zuko singing about dissatisfaction: Arnold offers respite, trying to give some comfort with a strained delivery.
As Sword II dial back the chaos, their narratives take center stage. This approach shines on “Sentry,” a gothic track about our crowd-sourced surveillance state. González hears a sentient being “in the sirens after dark,” complicitly welcoming it until her refrain—“I know that I’m not alone”—starts to sound more like a cry for help. “Who’s Giving You Love,” meanwhile, is a refreshing call-back to the band’s early days, with a drum break and blown-out mix that sounds like the rattling garage rock from a night at the Mammal Gallery. As the ringing guitar feedback fades into the serene closer, “Even If It’s Just a Dream,” you can hear Sword II working hard to keep the torch lit.
