Long Distance Swimmer
Studio album by
Adrian Crowley
Released2007
RecordedFoxrock, County Dublin, Ireland
LabelTin Angel Records
Adrian Crowley chronology
A Northern Country
(2004) 		Long Distance Swimmer
(2007) 		Season of the Sparks
(2009)

Long Distance Swimmer is the fourth studio album released by Irish singer-songwriter Adrian Crowley. It was recorded during a one-week period in the home of Crowley's sister in the suburb of Foxrock, County Dublin, was released on the Tin Angel record label, and features contributions from other musicians, such as James Yorkston.[1][2]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
entertainment.ie[3]
The Guardian[4]
Hot Press[5]

The album was released as soon as it was recorded as, according to Crowley, he became "fed up waiting".[6][7] It was recorded with engineer Stephen Shannon.[8] The record received positive reviews and was nominated for the Choice Music Prize.[6] The NME said it was "a lo-furnished, snug, auburn-tinged folk album which calls to mind Bill Callahan, Johnny Cash, and Edwyn Collins".[7] The Irish Independent's John Meagher named it his favourite album of 2007 and his sixteenth best Irish album of the decade, while his colleague Eamon Sweeney suggested Crowley's record was one of the few Irish albums preventing that year from being "an absolute stinker".[9][10][11] Lauren Murphy, who reviewed the Long Distance Swimmer for entertainment.ie, gave it three out of five stars and said it was "certainly the sort of album that's best appreciated when aligned with a certain mood; but, nonetheless, like its title, it has a determined durability that can only be admired".[12] Ian Gittins, who reviewed Long Distance Swimmer for The Guardian, also gave it three out of five stars and called the record "a lo-fi, high-intensity collection of acoustic musings that suggest Van Morrison singing with Red House Painters", adding "Crowley's rich brown croon inevitably recalls Nick Drake or Tim Buckley, but a more apposite musical touchstone is Badly Drawn Boy, or the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon eschewing his clever-clever wordplay in order to sink into a sepia reverie".[1] Ed Power, who reviewed the album for Hot Press, gave it four out of five stars and called Long Distance Swimmer "a goose-bump inducing collection of folk ballads and bare-boned post-rock".[2]

Awards

Long Distance Swimmer was nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2007 but lost to Super Extra Bonus Party's Super Extra Bonus Party LP.[13][14][15]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Long Distance Swimmer Irish Album of the Year 2007 Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b Ian Gittins (11 January 2008). "Adrian Crowley - Long Distance Swimmer". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Adrian Crowley - Long Distance Swimmer". Hot Press. 30 January 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2010. Recorded over a single week at his sister's Foxrock house, Adrian Crowley's fourth album is a goose-bump inducing collection of folk ballads and bare-boned post-rock.
  3. ^ entertainment.ie review Archived 2011-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "CD: Adrian Crowley, Long Distance Swimmer". The Guardian. 11 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020.
  5. ^ Hot Press review
  6. ^ a b Jim Carroll (11 April 2009). "Crowley crafts the finished article". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  7. ^ a b Kevin McGuire (23 April 2009). "Adrian Crowley's musical season sparks into life with new album". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  8. ^ Patrick Freyne (18 January 2009). "Swim when you're winning". Hot Press. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  9. ^ John Meagher (18 January 2008). "Loaded: Awards time again". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 March 2010. My favourite Irish album of 2007, Adrian Crowley's Long Distance Swimmer, and an excellent debut, The Flaw's Achieving Vagueness, are among the more fancied nominees.
  10. ^ John Meagher (11 December 2009). "Loaded: 11/12/2009". Irish Independent. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  11. ^ Eamon Sweeney (11 January 2008). "Bright lights: The Irish music scene in 2008". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 March 2010. It must be said that 2007 was not a particularly memorable or inspiring year for Irish music. Indeed, if it wasn't for albums from Cathy Davey, Roisin Murphy and Adrian Crowley towards year's end, it could have gone down as an absolute stinker.
  12. ^ Lauren Murphy (12 December 2007). "Adrian Crowley - Long Distance Swimmer". entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  13. ^ Shelley Marsden (10 January 2007). "The shortlist has been announced for the third Choice Music Prize in Ireland". The Irish World. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  14. ^ "Super Extra Bonus Party win Choice Music Prize". Irish Independent. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  15. ^ John Meagher (7 March 2008). "Pick of the Week: 07/03/2008". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 March 2010. TIPPED BY many – this writer included – to win the Choice Music Prize last week, the Galwegian was narrowly beaten by surprise winners Super Extra Bonus Party. Note to self – never bet on the likely winner of this event again. Anyway, Crowley has no doubt picked himself up, dusted himself down and is getting on with things. [...] Crowley's singing style has been compared to Nick Drake and Tim Buckley; his musical style to Badly Drawn Boy. And if, after the gig, you're still looking for another Adrian Crowley fix, he is featured on RTÉ 2's Other Voices that night at 11.30pm.
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