Choir Boy Shine Brighter than Ever on Gathering Swans
The Salt Lake City band pays homage to post-punk, new wave and more on their sophomore record

Salt Lake City’s Choir Boy is a one-of-a-kind band with a one-of-a-kind sound. Instrumentally, you could try to lump them in with synth-heavy darkwave groups like Cold Cave and Soft Kill, but you’ll have difficulty making a direct comparison thanks to Choir Boy’s ethereality. You could even try to throw it back to new wave and compare them, at least vocally, to Tears for Fears’ Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, but you’d still fall short. Choir Boy’s sound, somehow both heavy and airy, is a juxtaposition that’s hard to pin down and even harder to replicate. It shines brighter than ever on their new record, Gathering Swans.
Gathering Swans is Choir Boy’s sophomore album (out May 8 via Dais Records), following 2016’s Passive with Desire, where we were introduced to singer Adam Klopp’s alarmingly sincere vocals, which are legitimately difficult to describe without the overused adage “voice of an angel.” Klopp impressed on the debut, but on Gathering Swans he is absolutely hypnotizing. Tracks like opener “It’s Over” and single “Nites Like This” prove his worth as one of the best vocalists working. His voice is on full display, keeping the record afloat through even the most experimental tracks.