John Craigie - I Swam Here

I Swam Here finds John Craigie trading some of his road-worn folk for something warmer and more languid, a record that drifts like a slow afternoon by the water.

The Portland-based troubadour, known as much for the comic storytelling of his live shows as for his songs, made his tenth studio album largely in New Orleans in early 2025, backed by musicians handpicked by Sam Doores of The Deslondes. Released in 2026 on his own Zabriskie Point Records, it follows 2024's Pagan Church and leans gently toward bossa nova rhythms and soft, swaying grooves, a fresh setting for his easygoing voice.

Mermaid Weather opens the album and sets the tone, mellow and quietly witty. Lead single Fire Season pairs a breezy melody with Craigie's knack for the telling human detail, while Dry Land keeps the mood loose and reflective. The playing throughout is relaxed and generous, never crowding the songs. Edna Strange tips its hat to the story-song tradition of Marty Robbins with a character portrait that feels pulled from an old Western.

It is gentle, funny and sincere, a record that suits slow mornings and long drives equally well. Fans who know him from the stage will hear the same warmth and wit, just with a little more sway in its step.