Ever since his first album for Secretly Canadian Records, which was one half The Novelist, and the other half Walking Without Effort I have had a certain fondness for everything the man touches. While some of his work has flown under my radar, it is hard not to appreciate the songwriter / mad scientist that sits behind his piano and bears his soul.

So when the new album from Swift fell into my lap, I had to see what he was up to now. And as it turns out, what he is up to is blowing the roof off of all the adjectives you may have used to describe him in the past. It’s pretty easy to categorize some of Swifts previous efforts as bedroom pop or hushed and even dark at times, while this new album, The Atlantic Ocean comes out of the gate downright sunny and dare I say it, fun.

This is not to say that Swift has never ventured into the sunnier side of the pasture, but something about the introduction to this new album is way more in the realm of a soulful Beach Boys album rather than some previous work, which might fall closer to a brooding version of Rufus Wainwright. And current contemporaries like Ron Sexsmith should take note, buying an vintage analog tape machine from Jeff Tweedy has its benefits. Because that is just what Swift used to record most of this album, after touring with Wilco last year. Leaning on his proven approach and getting some help from engineer Chris Colbert, Swift churned out what in our opinion is his best record to date.

But when it comes down to it, Swift might describe The Atlantic Ocean the best when he says it is like “Prince sitting in on John Lennon’s Plastic Ono sessions”.

The Atlantic Ocean is out April 7th from SC and interestingly enough, Swift finds himself out on the road with The Fray, of all bands, this summer. The dates include a stop at Riverbend here in Cincinnati on June 29th. All dates listed after the jump….

Richard Swift – Lady Luck

Richard Swift – Lady Luck

Richard Swift with Vetiver:

April 7th Crepe Place – Santa Cruz, CA
April 8th Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
April 9th Casbah – San Diego, CA
April 10th Plush – Tucson AZ
April 11th Modified – Phoenix, AZ
April 13th Eagle Rock Center – Los Angeles, CA
April 14th Cellar Door – Visalia, CA
April 16th The Depot on Humboldt State, Arcata, CA
April 17th Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
April 18th Crocodile Café – Seattle, WA
April 19th Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, Canada

Richard Swift with The Fray:

June 12th Chastain Park Amphitheatre – Atlanta, Georgia
June 13th Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre – Charlotte, North Carolina
June 14th Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach – Virginia Beach, Virginia
June 16th Merriweather Post Pavillion – Columbia, Maryland
June 17th Darien Lake Performing Arts Center – Darien Center, New York
June 19th PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, New Jersey
June 20th New England Dodge Music Theatre – Hartford, Connecticut
June 21st Comcast Center – Mansfield, Massachusetts
June 23rd Molson Amphitheatre – Toronto, Ontario
June 24rd Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, New Jersey
June 25th Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre – Wantagh, New York
June 27th DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, Michigan
June 28th First Midwest Center – Tinley Park, Illinois
June 29th Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, Ohio
July 1st Time Warner Cable Amphitheater – Cleveland, Ohio
July 2nd Verizon Wireless Music Center – Noblesville, Indiana
July 3rd Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Maryland Heights, Missouri
July 4th Marcus Amphitheater – Milwaukee, Wisconsin