Album Review: Linying – Swim, Swim

Swim, Swim sinks slow—smart, pathos pop with an edge.

Swim, Swim takes time unraveling in quicksand, leaving the listener knee-deep in its swirling, intimate chaos. Linying uses the album as a sonic diary disguised as pop, full of tiny revelations tucked inside expansive, shimmering soundscapes. She peels back layers with each track—sometimes gently, sometimes like tearing off a bandage—and what’s revealed feels startlingly real. Inspired by 2010s pop, Linying brings left-field influences into a formula that has pleased audiences for over a decade. 

“Blondie” is an immediate standout for the album. Linying’s understanding of the pop formula and its pathos shines through—the song is confessional, yet gratifyingly confessional. The song is musically structured to keep the listener on the edge of their seats, and lyrically, an outstretched hand of pure yearning. The verses contain scattered, percussive hits in the production, sweat dripping down a nervous face as a crush walks by. Linying’s delivery feels cautiously optimistic, her underlying anxiety sparking through moments of vocal flips and stutters. As she hovers over the track, the subtle yet effective sound design adds a tangible dimension to the space. Field recordings of chatter, and what sounds like fairies taking flight, zoom through the listener’s ears, taking advantage of the stereo sound and panning from left to right. These blink-and-you-miss-it effects blend as the tempo speeds up. Pads and guitars fill up the sound spectrum as the chorus explodes the song from black and white into color. Sonically, “Blondie” packs a punch that feels rare in the now often over-produced pop landscape. Unfortunately, it even has a beautifully orchestrated brass section that is placed too far back in the mix. 

The album’s second half slows things down a little as Linying tries exploring inward inspiration rather than turning to the world. On “Pink Gel,” she finds comfort in a quiet, stable love amongst a soft bed of guitars. In stark contrast, the next track, “The Key,” starts in a field of pulsating electronic signals. 80s drums, laden with reverb and energy, command the pace of the intro, setting up the scene for Kate Bush-esque vocals. Yet Linying is not limited to real sounds and uses that to her advantage. The verse creates an atmospheric, limitless sonic digital landscape. The only non-digital, recorded artifact seems to be Linying’s voice. Her tone is airy and conversational, yet she still commands the entire space, grounding the track with vocal harmonies and strong choices. By the time the first guitar strum hits, ringing in the chorus, the listener is surely overwhelmed by the pure ecstasy. Linying structures these songs in a way that feels like breathing—natural and almost predictable, yet every breath feels like fresh air. Her arrangement designs pockets in the music, moments where listeners can take in what they just heard. 

During the chorus for “The Key,” Linying laments, “you’re somewhere between my little secret and my oldest friend.” Small but impactful lines like these craft the beautifully effective pop-lyrical universe that Swim, Swim resides in. “Birthdays on Video” is an excellent example of this. The catchy rhyme in the chorus sings, “I know we’re both so upset/and it’s brutal circumstance.”  This gives the album a sense of levity amongst otherwise frank lyrics. However, Linying is always careful not to reveal too much. She masterfully tightropes between offering information and abstract word painting. To be able to cast a wide net while capturing intimacy is no easy feat, and Linying does it with style. 

By the time Swim, Swim breathes its final note, there is a sense that you’ve just wadded through Linying’s memories—scattered, soft-edged, and strangely your own. This album tries to earn your trust, trading in confessions and contradictions with the poise of someone who knows that real power lies in restraint. Linying doesn’t shout her truths—she whispers them, folded neatly into polished hooks and echoing silences. In doing so, she makes you want to listen all the more.