Birthing (album)

Michael Gira, the frontman for Swans, stated that the material within Birthing was developed and recorded across a yearlong tour.^[2] The songs were then further orchestrated and rearranged in the studio.^[3] Gira also stated that it would be the last "big sound" Swans album, with future releases from the band being "significantly pared down" and that it would mark his last album as the main producer of Swans.^[4] A tour for the album ended on November 28 in Berlin.^[5]

The first single from Birthing, "I Am a Tower" was released on February 25, 2025.^[6] Commenting for Beats Per Minute's "BPM Curates: February 2025", John Amen wrote, "the track is a study in opposites and functions as a sonic diptych ... [Gira's] voice and the driving music conjuring a sublime blend of humility and braggadocio, embodiment and transcendence, megalomania and self-erasure".^[7] Birthing was released on May 30, 2025, on 2xCD and 3xLP through Mute and Young God Records.^[1] Initial pressings of the album came with a concert film of the band, (Rope) The Beggar, as well as a documentary focused on Gira's 2022 solo tour, I Wonder If I'm Singing What You're Thinking Me to Sing.^[1]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.2/10[8]
Metacritic	87/100[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
Beats Per Minute	85%[11]
God Is in the TV	8/10[12]
Louder Than War	[13]
MusicOMH	[14]
PopMatters	8/10[15]
Slant Magazine	[16]
Sputnikmusic	4.2/5[17]
Uncut	8/10[18]

Close

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Birthing received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 from 8 critic scores.^[9]

Physical versions of the album list "(Rope) Away" as two separate tracks: "Rope" and "Away" with the same lengths listed above.

Credits adapted from Birthing liner notes.^[20]

Swans

• Michael Gira – vocals, acoustic guitar, producer, art direction, design
• Phil Puleo – drums, hammered dulcimer, flute, melodica, percussion, layout
• Kristof Hahn – lap steel guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, loops, backing vocals
• Dana Schechter – lap steel guitar, bass guitar, loops
• Christopher Pravdica – bass guitar, Taishōgoto, loops, sound effects, keyboards
• Larry Mullins – Mellotron, keyboards, piano, synthesizer, drums, vibraphone, percussion, backing vocals
• Norman Westberg – electric guitar, loops

Guest musicians

• Jennifer Gira – guest, backing vocals
• Laura Carbone – guest, backing vocals
• Lucy Kruger – guest, backing vocals
• Andreas Dormann – guest, soprano saxophone
• Little Mikey – guest, backing vocals
• Timothy Wyskida – drums on "The Merge"

Engineers

• Doug Henderson – mastering
• Ingo Krauss – recording, mixing
• Kiron Gaudi – engineering assistance