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I Was Born Swimming
by
I Was Born Swimming Image
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 12 Ratings

  • Summary: The debut full-length release for the Boston singer-songwriter Ella Williams was recorded in New York City with producer Gabe Wax.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. PopMatters
    Mar 3, 2020
    80
    I Was Born Swimming is a great record from someone who has a thousand miles of potential. Let's not forget, this is her first record, and it's self-assured, confident, and just vulnerable enough to give it an edge.
  2. The Skinny
    Jan 30, 2020
    80
    Brooding and hypnotic, I Was Born Swimming is delicately sombre, yet diverse in such a way that evades any risk of tedium.
  3. Uncut
    Jan 28, 2020
    80
    Laudably, unfussy. [Feb 2020, p.35]
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  4. Clash Music
    Feb 3, 2020
    80
    Hard to ignore, her voice is glorious and rich, and her music intoxicating. ‘I Was Born Swimming’ is an intense journey to take with its creator, but it envelops entirely. You are where she is, you feel as she does.
  5. Paste Magazine
    Feb 7, 2020
    79
    Throughout I Was Born Swimming, Williams pokes around in her own mind while wearing a tiny headlamp, digging up romantic evening encounters, lonely late-night drives and midnight beach jaunts. It never quite feels like daylight. But the instrumentation is such that the record never feels cold, either. You’ll just want to sink into it, like a warm bath, or maybe a 4 p.m. ocean that’s been baking in the hot sun all day.
  6. AllMusic
    Jan 30, 2020
    70
    Slow-moving and thoughtful, I Was Born Swimming thrives on its central idea of rootlessness, roving through moments of heartache, joy, wistfulness, and the myriad pangs of melancholy that accompany personal growth. Brimming with personal observations and subtly dynamic performances, Williams offers a strong debut.
  7. Under The Radar
    Feb 11, 2020
    60
    I Was Born Swimming tinkers around the edges of feeling without always plotting a clear way in. It's never an unpleasant experience, often moving. But the dots don't entirely connect.

See all 13 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. murpht12
    Feb 3, 2020
    9
    Great blend of soothing, electric vibes, underlined her majestic voice. A great first album.
  2. bensardonic
    Mar 29, 2020
    8
    The first time a listened to this album I found it enjoyable enough, but didn't think much of it. Maybe I was in the wrong headspace, I don'tThe first time a listened to this album I found it enjoyable enough, but didn't think much of it. Maybe I was in the wrong headspace, I don't know. However, I found my my thoughts returning to this work often, so I imagine it must have made quite the impression on my subconscious. When I gave it another listen, I was much more appreciative, and continue to be so as I turn to it again and again.… Expand
  4. Lajaleaa
    Mar 22, 2020
    7
    ( 79/100 )

    Squirrel Flower es una chica de 23 años llamada Ella Williams que creció como poeta y escritora que se convirtió rápidamente en    ( 79/100 )

    Squirrel Flower es una chica de 23 años llamada Ella Williams que creció como poeta y escritora que se convirtió rápidamente en compositora y músico de Boston. En este álbum se declara amante y fiel amiga de su guitarra con quien cantará letras sobre la observación diaria y la sensibilidad en la mundanidad que le hace recordar escenas del dolor y gozo de su vida. Serán Gabe Wax y Michael Bloch quienes construirán el panorama musical de este proyecto, quienes tendrán éxito en reforzar la sensibilidad que la artista busca para esta visión que hará reflexionar a quienes se den un momento para ver por cualquier ventana.
    -
    Squirrel Flower is a 23 years old girl called Ella Williams that grew up as a poet and a writer that quickly became a composer and musician from Boston. In this album, she shows her love and faithful friend of her guitar with which she will sing lyrics about daily observation and the sensibility of the mundanity that reminds her of the pain and joy scenes of her life. It will be Gabe Wax and Michael Bloch who will build the musical landscape of this project and will succeed in strengthening the sensibility that the artist searches for this vision that will make reflect those who give themselves a time to look through the window.    … Expand

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