SOTW part 1: Welter - Sweep the Leg Johnny

The soundtrack for the collapse of an empire.

Sweep the Leg Johnny’s [Sweep] “Welter” is not a song that many people know, and it is likely not a song that many people would really even like. It is an abrasive, discordant, unpredictable, and borderline disturbing auditory experience that drags you by the hair over a series of sharp, rocky, musical speed bumps while you wonder what could possibly be hitting you next. And yet, I love every second of it. For all of its anarchy, it is a masterful composition and practice in experimental noise rock, math rock, and jazz that hides treasured jewels under its rocky surface, if you are willing to listen. It is a gripping and uniquely beautiful song that has held me since the moment I heard it, and that— in my humble opinion— makes it worth talking about.

Written and recorded as an original song for Los Angeles label ZUM’s “ZUM #10 Compilation”, “Welter” features alongside tracks from Kublai Khan, Cars Get Crushed, and Simply Ballroom. Even as “Welter” settles amongst its peers in this eclectic mix of noise rock and alternative sound, it also stands out. At seven minutes and 39 seconds long, it is an odyssey on its own, telling its tale through an instrumental rollercoaster. A slow, brief, and almost ambient intro lulls you misleadingly before lurching quickly into an off-key and dissonant tangle of drums, saxophone, and creaking guitar. Around two minutes in, the key guitar riff kicks into play. Rolling and cyclical, it draws on the frenetic energy of the saxophone that has begun to wail a repetitive, anguished scream. Over and over again, it cries, fed by the woodwinds and sharp percussion that push the momentum of the rest of the song. As it develops, the sonic lawlessness unveils itself as a sparkling thing of beauty. Slow, quiet moments creep in, cradling you before you are launched once again back into the fray. All you can do is enjoy the ride.

“Welter” is likely more digestible when it is approached as a narrative. Although its subject matter is not specific, with lyrics muddled and nearly indiscernible, the instruments find their own voice— telling a story of an agitation with the current state of society and the seeming impossibility of change. It is not necessarily a punk song, but it might as well be. The roar and lull of the music mirrors the social push and pull between inaction and justice, as well as the rise and fall of hope and desperation as we watch society crumble around us, teetering on the precipice of no return. The song is a perfect metaphor as it moves quickly through these tonal shifts, never letting the listener settle or rest. At one point, as the music builds to a brief crescendo, the vocalist— Steve Sostak— lets out a hoarse, guttural scream: “ACTION/ ACTION/ ACTION/ ACTION/ WAIT/ WAIT/ WAIT/ WAIT!” He rails against the turbulent guitar before the chaos fades out into slow, clear, melodic sax. There is no other moment that encapsulates “Welter” as perfectly as this.

How do you cope with a dying world? How do you manifest some semblance of sanity when every norm you were accustomed to has turned to ash? How do you cling to hope when everything is slipping away? For many, especially those of you reading here, music is the way. Sweep understood that: “Welter” is the materialization of that understanding. Sometimes— in the same way that negatives cancel each other out— insane music can help you feel grounded. As “Welter” tests the boundaries of your sonic tolerance, so too do you likely feel your tolerance for upheaval getting tested more and more every day in real life as you move through the dying empire of America. Sweep does not pretend to know the answers to the horrors of late stage capitalism, but they do know how to scream, and they will be there when you need them.

RIP to Steve Sostak.

Follow Sweep the Leg Johnny on Spotify and Bandcamp, and buy their merch. It’s the best thing you can do for a band!

To support me: like this post, subscribe, share it with your friends, and follow me on Instagram for updates, memes, and music news!