Swim Deep team up with Phoebe Green for ‘On the Floor’
The Birmingham quintet idealises a doomed relationship on their hypnotising new track
Photo: Jono White
While On the Floor is by no means my first introduction to Phoebe Green, it is however my first experience hearing Swim Deep, and it has succeeded in turning me into a fan. What instantly drew me into this track is Phoebe’s ethereal vocals, contrasted perfectly in a satisfying back-and-forth by Austin Williams’ soft, mellow voice. Between this, the gradually built-up instrumentation and the thoughtful lyrics, this track screams melancholy in all the right ways, forcing me to feel emotions completely irrelevant to my life presently.
On the Floor sees the narrators romanticising a relationship they know doesn’t have a future. Diffused throughout the lyrics is a longing for blissful ignorance, a willing neglect of logic and practicalities. At its core, this is a song about the lure of emotion, and its ability to cancel out reason. With a stunningly simple refrain of “I wanna pretend”, it will undoubtedly appeal to those driven by fantasy, who hold a natural disdain for the hardships of reality.
This could easily be the soundtrack to a summer romance, or for the fleeting sensations of a one night stand. We sense the conflict of the narrators’ passion and rationality in their self-contradictions, seen in lines like “I don’t want this to be something we overthink / There’s no reason to talk or make it a thing”, which are surrounded by significant evidence of overthinking and talking. There’s also a somewhat sad sense of insecurity behind the lyrics, which suggest the narrators’ discomfort in their own company, particularly in lines like “I wanted space, but I can’t embrace being alone.” The relationship acts as an artificial solution to this deep-rooted problem, as we see in the line “If we dress it up, we could be in love for a night.”
Overall, this track is a gorgeous track that wouldn’t seem out of place in a romantic teen movie. Phoebe’s foray into a higher vocal range was mesmerising, and I hope she will continue to show this more delicate sound in her own future releases. As for Swim Deep, if their other music sounds anything like On the Floor, I’m excited to dive deep into their discography to uncover some more musical gems.
