Leaving Records presents Swan’s Chamber, the latest idiosyncratic statement of musical purpose from Georgia based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Taylor Ross. Listeners may know Ross from his two prior releases on Leaving as Surface to Air Missive. Where those records were DIY gems of staunchly progressive indie rock, Swan’s Chamber conjures a world of stately manors, baroque architecture and full southern gothic immersion. Heavy on classical guitar, recorder, and piano, Swan’s Chamber is a picaresque set of southern classical compositions. The swan is a fitting mascot for this album’s elegant and graceful instrumentals.

Incepted by Ross while in Berlin on a tour of Europe in 2016, Swan’s Chamber is a conscious shift from rock to classical. Its complex pieces showcase a vibrantly creative mind working at a high level. The album’s striking cover image, a photo of an abandoned yet majestic antebellum mansion, distinctively embodies the music. From the elegant medieval barbs of opening track “Swan One (of the South),” to the heart rending chords of the closing title track, Swan’s Chamber is a cohesive slab of sumptuous beauty. The album’s two sides are split up by winding centerpiece “Swan’s Ghost,” a serpentine, enigmatic slow burner of haunting classical blues. Full of living history and first rate musicianship, Swan's Chamber makes a stunning impression.