mUmbo “Swing My Hip”

Appealing to the fragility of life, “Swing My Hip” is a shoegazing track with a blues soul that reflects and relives dreams, hopes, and mistakes that men could bear. Filled with surreal overdubbing and jazz-tinged vocals, dazzling guitar skyscape, and trip-hop blended contemporality, mUmbo’s alternative sensation is realized in an unexpected way.

mUmbo, the UK-based duo is capable of transforming musical elements from multi genres into exciting, new sounds. Their influences encompass a wild range from shoegaze, beats, folk, blues, rock, and ambient, and the result is a new genre, which they call “post-covid blues.”

Blues, in “Swing My Hip” is more of an aesthetic than a sound derived from the south. The modern day blues deserves an update, and the sound should no longer be defined as what it used to be. The duo quotes artists such as Stars of the Lid, Widowspeak, Mazzy Star, Goldfrapp, Little Feat, and Ry Cooder as their inspirations.

“There seems to be a subtle shift in the songs we are hearing. As always with music, the songs being produced by ourselves and other artists at the moment, seem to be reflecting a sign of the times. Maybe a new genre, ‘Post-Covid Blues’ is being created!” said Doug MacGowan.

Emma Semple’s elegant vocal is just as signature as Doug MacGowan’s electric guitar work. Their collective effort in “Swing My Hip” has orchestrated into a haunting mesmerizing, nostalgic, and visually stimualting sonic journey, imprinted into a vast soundscape.

“Swing My Hip” bears a positive message. It contains wisdom from the age-old human spirit that always cuts through the fog. The nuance and the subtle movement within the song has a beautiful ring that echoes with the world and what is going on. Like a universe that reflects the time we live in, “Swing My Hip” from mUmble is one that is worth savoring.