Product Description
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 27, 2026 - SELWYN BIRCHWOOD - ELECTRIC SWAMP FUNKIN' BLUES
Reviewed in Blues Music Magazine Issue #49 April 2026
SELWYN BIRCHWOOD
Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues
Alligator
There’s soul-blues, jump-blues, blues-rock and now, thanks to Selwyn Birchwood, there’s electric swamp funkin’ blues! Within the first minute on the opening track, “The Eagle Has Landed,” Birchwood’s massive wah-wah bends loudly announce the birth of the style of blues he’s been mastering. The follow-up, “Church Of Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues,” is the mission statement of his stylistic creation – complimentary horns, a choir of singers, funky rhythms, Jimi-like psychedelic guitar and lap steel vibrations, and his church’s #1 commandment: “The Music Is The Mission.”
After his call to worship, Birchwood’s confessional “Damaged Goods” is a mid-tempo acceptance of one’s broken hopes. The jazz influenced guitar solo accelerates into an emotionally charged statement. As the rappin’ street preacher sermonizing on “All Hail The Algorithm,” Birchwood cleverly exposes the algorithmic trap that tightens its hold daily. It’s enough to stay in bed all day, which is exactly the theme on Birchwood’s sacred steel “Shoulda Never Gotten Outta Bed Today.” And if you’ve successfully avoided algorithms and stayed in bad, then “Talking Heads” exposes another false idol dominating our 2026 headspace.
Birchwood’s peace be with you moment is evident in his devotional handling of “Labour Of Love” and the slow blues “Soulmate” each of which speaks of a human of a togetherness necessary in this gathering of people. And for the blues he learned from touring with Sonny Rhodes, Birchwood grafts a “It Hurts Me Too” melody onto his “What I’ve Been Accused Of.”
The album closes with “The Struggle Is Real,” one adult man’s honest update of “The Talk” where every daily encounter comes with the undercurrent threat of racism. Where a simple traffic stop or a lifetime of opportunities denied can shake one’s determination. There is a palpable emotion in Birchwood’s hopefulness to eventually overcoming the daily struggle millions in the world confront. This is Birchwood’s full on benediction rising with the voices of his modern congregation.
Since his 2013 International Blues Challenge victory in Memphis, Birchwood has racked up Blues Music Awards for Best New Artist Debut (2014) and Song Of The Year (2022) along with multiple nominations for Contemporary Male Blues Artist. But Birchwood has never rested on those accolades. Along with his veteran core touring band – Regi Oliver (saxophones), Huff Wright (bass), John Hetherington (keys), and Henley Connor III (drums) – Birchwood has again captured a sound and message that speaks to artistic growth and the times we are struggling through. The overall message here is simple: Joining this non-denominational sonic church of electric swamp funkin’ blues saves sanity.
– Art Tipaldi
Rolling Stone calls award-winning Florida musician Selwyn Birchwood "a remarkable, contemporary bluesman... a powerhouse young guitarist and soulful vocalist." Now, this mesmerizing guitarist, lap steel master and cinematic songwriter unleashes the powerful new album Electric Swamp Funkin' Blues, further blazing his own musical trail. Birchwood's sound is an intoxicating mix of deep blues, blistering, psychedelic-tinged rock, booty-shaking funk and sweet Southern soul, played and sung with true blues passion. From an emotionally devastating whisper to a soul-baring scream, Birchwood's vocals command attention. Schooled in the blues' storied traditions (he toured with and was mentored by the famed Sonny Rhodes), Birchwood maps out a dazzling future for the blues with his visionary music. Selwyn Birchwood is one of the hardest-touring artists on the Alligator roster, and will support the new release with shows throughout the U.S. He's no stranger to European stages either, with plenty of tours there under his belt, and having just completed over a month's worth of European dates, 27 shows in all, with 24 taking place in France, three in Belgium and one in Czechia.
1 The Eagle Has Landed
2 The Church of Electric Swamp Funkin' Blues
3 Damaged Goods
4 All Hail the Algorithm
5 Labour of Love
6 Should've Never Gotten Out of Bed
7 What I've Been Accused of
8 Talking Heads
9 Soulmate
10 The Struggle Is Real