GENRE; Alternative Rock/ Classic Rock/ Indie( Melodic Pop Rock) / Indie Pop

RELEASE DATE; 30 April, 2026

RATING; 4.3/5

Songs for the Swung is the kind of album that feels handmade in the best possible way — ambitious, bruised, funny, melancholy, and unexpectedly hopeful. Following the sprawling emotional weight of Idiopath, Kenton Hall trims things down to twelve songs, but the emotional scope remains enormous. Built on sharp storytelling and richly layered arrangements, the record moves between indie pop, chamber folk, and theatrical rock without ever sounding unfocused. Hall writes for the emotionally adrift, the people trying to rebuild themselves after disappointment, and that honesty gives the album its pulse.

What makes the album so compelling is how alive it sounds despite its modest resources. Hall and his collaborators — including Chris Ilett, Brett Richardson, Mark Haynes, and Paul Swannell — create something cinematic from sheer creativity and chemistry. Strings, choirs, horns, harpsichord, even balalaika flourishes drift through the songs with warmth and purpose. The production recalls the melodic sophistication of Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and The Divine Comedy, yet Hall’s voice as a songwriter remains distinctly his own — witty, wounded, and deeply humane.

The standout track is undoubtedly “The Sun Shone Down,” a radiant reflection on reconnecting with an old flame without bitterness or expectation. It carries a genuine emotional lightness that feels earned rather than sentimental. “Lick of Paint” offers the perfect counterbalance: sharp, satirical, and lyrically fearless, exposing the machinery that protects power and privilege. Elsewhere, “Heart Enough” and “Strangely, I’m Feeling Much Better Today” reveal Hall’s talent for turning private emotions into universally recognisable moments, with the latter closing the album on a note of fragile optimism.

Recorded between Leicester studios and late-night shed overdubs, Songs for the Swung proves that independent music does not need to think small. It is lush without excess, literary without pretension, and emotionally heavy without collapsing into despair. More than anything, it feels human. Kenton Hall may joke that he “both looks and is tired,” but this album sounds vividly awake.

TRACKS

1. The Sun Shone Down

2. Holly Says

3. What She’s About to Do

4. Have you Heard This one?

5. I’d Know you Anywhere

6. Heart Enough

7. Lick of Paint

8. Good at What I do

9. Make Her Proud

10. A story That you Tell

11. Before You

12. Strangely, I’m feeling Much Better Today

KENTONHALL.HEARNOW.COM  FACEBOOK X.COM  SPOTIFY  SOUNDCLOUD  BANDCAMP YOUTUBE  INSTAGRAM