Like Swimming is Morphine's fourth album, released on DreamWorks Records in 1997, marking the band's move from indie label Rykodisc to a major label. The trio of Mark Sandman on two-string slide bass and vocals, Dana Colley on saxophones, and Billy Conway on drums recorded with producer Hi Tek at studios in New York and Boston. The production is more layered than previous Morphine albums, with additional musicians contributing on some tracks, though the core sound — Sandman's bass, Colley's saxophone, Conway's drums — remains intact. "Wishing Well" features Colley's tenor saxophone in a prominent solo role. The album explores a wider dynamic range than its predecessors, incorporating quieter, more atmospheric passages alongside the band's trademark low-end grooves. Like Swimming received generally positive reviews but represented a transition for the band — the move to DreamWorks brought higher production values and wider distribution without fundamentally changing Morphine's approach. It was the band's last album released during Sandman's lifetime; he collapsed and died on stage during a concert in Palestrina, Italy in 1999. The album's title captures something of the band's musical sensibility: the feeling of moving through a dense, immersive sonic environment.
