Sharp and sensible, new musical duo Soft Swells nails the canny pop sensibi… Read Full Bio ↴Sharp and sensible, new musical duo Soft Swells nails the canny pop sensibility of today’s indie landscape on their forthcoming self-titled ‘Soft Swells’ LP making full use of an arsenal of sounds, including stuttering and snapping drums, handclaps, a ringing xylophone, and subtle electronics. Soft Swells is the collaborative effort of longtime indie songwriter and gifted storyteller Tim Williams and the talents of Brooklyn’s Phonograph mainstay Matt Welsh.

Soft Swells was named for and inspired by Williams' beachy surroundings in California where he relocated after leaving NYC in 2009. Williams, who had released two very well-received albums under his name for Dovecote Records, met Welsh as he was gearing up to work on his third album. Welsh, who gained much acclaim with his own Brooklyn outift Phonograph, asked Williams if he needed a guitarist, and both gents knew it was a sure fit. Recently, Welsh also made the move from the East Coast to West Coast to join his new bandmate. “His band had done quite a bit of touring with Wilco so I knew Matt would be up for the challenge,” says Williams.

Now ready to release their ‘Soft Swells’ debut LP to the world, Williams is excited to showcase new songs that he and Welsh recorded under tight constraints. "I would say ‘control’ is the main theme for this record. Really, what you can and can't - and how that affects your life.” Soft Swells’ self-titled debut was recorded in the tiny town of Lewes, England, by longtime friend and producer Dave Lynch (Ed Harcourt, Clearlake, Liam Finn) at Bat Box Studios. “Matt and I spent a little over a week recording 13 songs as quick as we could before our return flights home. I think we nearly drove Dave mad during this process as we could have really used a solid month for a record this size. Dave had also just had his first baby boy - Monty Moog - and probably only had 5 hours of sleep the entire week. He is a true saint,” says Williams.

The band released a hot 7” late summer 2011 which featured new tracks "Every Little Thing" and “Lifeboats” which gained airplay at KCRW and KROQ and started a Soft Swells buzz on the West Coast. Both songs were remastered for inclusion on the crushingly perfect upcoming ‘Soft Swells’ full length which Austin-based Modern Outsider Records will release at the end of February. Stay tuned for new tour dates and new beginnings from Soft Swells in 2012.

Say It Like You Mean It
Soft Swells Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

To drain you till I know,
I couldn’t give much more
To lose you like a friend
Rust on the front door
That’s not alright with me
That’s not alright with me

But I’m not giving up,

I’ll hold you while I can
Losing so much blood
To make a stronger man
If that’s alright with you
If that’s alright with you

Say it like you mean it
Say it one more time
I know that you can’t fake it
I know that we are fine

Feet above my head
Voices through the hall
None of them are yours
Empty hooks hang on the walls
If that’s alright with you
If that’s alright with you

Say it like you mean it
Say it one more time
I know that you can’t fake it
I know that we are fine

Say it like you mean it
Say it one more time
I know that you can’t fake it
I know that we are fine

If
If
If
If

that’s
that’s
that’s
that’s

Say it like you mean it

alright
alright
alright
alright

with
with
with
with

you
you
you
you

Say it one more time
I know that you can’t fake it
I know that we are fine

So Say it like you mean it
Say it one more time

I know that you can’t fake it
I know that we are fine

Overall Meaning

In Soft Swells' song "Say it Like You Mean It," the lyrics convey a sense of desperation and longing for a connection with someone who seems to be slipping away. The singer seems to be expressing their commitment to holding onto this person, regardless of any difficulties or obstacles they may face. The opening lines "To drain you till I know, I couldn’t give much more, To lose you like a friend, Rust on the front door" allude to the singer's sense of vulnerability and fear of losing this person, like a "rusty" door that can't be opened again. The repetition of "That's not alright with me" emphasizes the urgency of the situation and the singer's determination to not let go.

The chorus contains the titular phrase, "Say it like you mean it," which could be interpreted as a plea for the other person to be honest about their feelings towards the singer. The repetition of "Say it one more time, I know that you can't fake it, I know that we are fine" serves to reinforce this idea that honesty and open communication are essential for their relationship to survive. The final lines of the song repeat variations of "alright" and "with you," suggesting that the singer is willing to do whatever it takes to make the relationship work, as long as they have the other person by their side.

Line by Line Meaning

To drain you till I know,
I'll give you everything, until I know every detail about you

I couldn’t give much more
I'm already giving you all that I have to offer

To lose you like a friend
I don't want to lose you, but even losing you as a friend would be hard

Rust on the front door
Things are starting to deteriorate

That’s not alright with me
Things falling apart is not something I'm comfortable with

But I’m not giving up,
Despite things falling apart, I'm not giving up on you

I’ll hold you while I can
I'll hold onto you for as long as possible

Losing so much blood
I'm putting so much effort into keeping us together

To make a stronger man
I'm doing this to make myself stronger for you and for us

If that’s alright with you
I hope you're okay with what I'm trying to do

Say it like you mean it
Please be honest