Ass! Damn! Shit! Swearin’ is back, you guys! And their new single, “Dust in the Gold Sack,” announces their return in the best way a nostalgia-inducing band can: with a couple of new tricks.
Swearin’s 2011 debut was a bleakly charming 35 minutes of fuzzy guitars and busy sticks, best summed up by the phrase, “My ex was back in town last night / hand me that Gatorade because I’m hungover as all hell”.
Now, “Dust in the Gold Sack” certainly retains this mindset but the track opens with something simple, yet unheard of in Swearin’s realm — an acoustic guitar. Whether this move functions as a not-so-subtle nod to part-time ringleader Allison Crutchfield’s sister Katie (aka Waxahatchee), or as a sign of growing older is up to the listener to decide. Either way, it’s damn effective.
The calm doesn’t last long, however. By the time the first chorus hits, Crutchfield has resumed her softy-with-angst mentality, the drum kit has morphed a pile-driver, and the guitars have increased tenfold. While “Dust in the Gold Sack” may display a growing band in Swearin’, they thankfully still haven’t grown up.