Songs about love are not hard to find — they’re taking over every radio station, open mic night and streaming platform. In the tumultuous sea of music covering the pitfalls, triumphs and new beginnings of romantic relationships, Teddy Swims’ new album “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)” falls short. Overproduced and lyrically lackluster, the 13-song album blends together a few consistent themes and sounds with very few points of contrast.
The soul-pop album, released Jan. 24, comes as part of a three-album installment. Swims released, “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1),” in September 2023 and “Part 1.5” of the series — which featured four additional tracks — in April 2024. “Part 2” is a full new album, however, including the hit “Bad Dreams.” The album also features Givēon, Muni Long, Coco Jones and GloRilla.
Swims starts the album strong with “Not Your Man,” immediately grabbing listeners with his low, gravelly, soulful voice and the song’s strong beat. The song reminded me of something I would hear on SiriusXM in my Missouri hometown — notes of country with a pop beat pulsing throughout. In this track, Swims laments over a betrayal from a lover, crooning, “If you can deceive me looking dead in my eyes / You don’t have to say it, baby, I understand / That I’m not your man.” It’s a promising start.
Swims first gained popularity in 2019 when he began posting covers of popular songs on YouTube, but the Georgia native’s country-soul-pop persona that has taken shape is evident in lyrics and production of this album. In “Hammer to the Heart,” Swims’ strong belt and rumbling low notes evoke a dramatic, almost theatrical performance with soulful backing vocals to support the — albeit dry — lyrics. The choruses and tempo of “Funeral” too closely resembles those of “Bad Dreams,” with only one track separating the two.
And the lyrics don’t help. I’m a sucker for a love song, but 13 in a row was too much — even for a hopeless romantic like me. The lyrics are ridden with cliches and cheesy sentiments that made me cringe rather than swoon, like on “Guilty,” where Swims says “If havin’ a bleeding heart is a crime / If lovin’ you means I’m servin’ life / I’m guilty, baby.” If someone ever said that to me, I would gag.
Though the production and lyrics generally feel repetitive, Swims has a few slower, more soulful moments that strengthen the project. At the album’s strongest point, Swims replaces pop beats and showy riffs with stripped back piano that allows Swims’ naturally slow, soulful and sweet voice to shine through. “If You Ever Change Your Mind” and the first 45 seconds of “Northern Lights” accomplish this, and are the types of songs that distinguish Swims from every other Morgan Wallen dupe on the radio.
Swims also accomplishes contrast on the sensual “She Got It,” which features Coco Jones and GloRilla. The song celebrates a woman and her natural body, and Jones’ higher, lilting voice offers a great contrast to Swims’ low rumble. However, GloRilla’s rap verse feels forced into the song’s slower beat, which is disappointing after her impressive feature on Tyler, the Creator’s “Sticky.” Swims is at his best when he strategically features artists that contrast his own sound. This serves to introduce new dynamics to his music and bring in new audiences. However, the project’s features and lyrics feel arbitrary and end up losing momentum.
After 40 minutes of listening, it’s clear that Swims’ impressive vocals are what bring this album to its somewhat stunted life. If he focused more on variety in his lyrics and production rather than producing 13 radio-ready hits, maybe the album would have shone and resonated with me on a deeper level. But unfortunately, the deepest part about this album is Swims’ voice.
Contact Rory Lustberg at [email protected].
