By Chris Thompson
Swindled make a strong start to 2026 and embark upon their ‘Sexual Fantasies’ era with this 90s-charged introspective singalong punctuated with warm guitar riffs and sardonic lyrics.
Johnny’s angelic vocal delivery and the band’s Bluetones/Charlatans/Suede-inspired guitar sound is what initially impressed me about Swindled, and I’m glad to see the Sunderland 5-piece are only growing further into this genre, but with choruses more akin to indie anthems than forgotten 90s shoegazing.
As usual the harmonies are immaculate and the subject matter is uncomfortably personal, throwing back to themes explored in 2025’s Dear Past Life. The awkward post-adolescence period is clearly a source of inspiration for Swindled and something they ruminate on at a distance but with great perspective.
Listeners may find themselves struggling to get a foot-hold in the rhythm, with the chorus’s mega singalong melody not quite hitting the mark until the first 4/4 of the song at 3:30. Or maybe, as the song’s title suggests, they were just edging us the whole time towards a satisfying climax. Ooh matron.
With a lot of interesting things on the menu for the North East music scene in 2026, no one could deny Swindled a seat at the table.
