When was the last time you listened to a debut album
and went “holy-friggan-wow this is abso-friggan-lutely
awesome!”? (Yes, I’m fond of “friggan”)
Maybe it’s been a while since a debut album
impressed you enough to exclaim the same euphemism
for a vulgar word repeatedly in it’s praise,
but that should all change if you’re into punk
and you purchase “My Everest”, debut album
by THE SWELLERS. If you’re not into punk then
I say, good day to you sir.
In an age where cookie cutter, flavor of the month
bands dominate the music industry, and countless groups
who sound exactly like that other band infest the
radio like ticks on a bear’s ass, “My
Everest” is a refreshing slap in the face. From
the very get-go you’re grabbed by the face and
forced to acknowledge that “hey, these guys
are friggan good! And they don’t sound like
everyone else!”. That’s right, THE SWELLERS
are a punk band with integrity, skill, and a determination
to stand out from the crowd, to forge their own path,
and to be true to their own musical convictions.
The Michigan based quintet consisting of brothers
Nick (guitar/vocals) and Jonathan (drums) Diener,
Lance Nelson (bass) and Garrett Burgett (guitar) have
a chemistry amongst them that is powerful enough to
be visible. I’ll bet you can actually *see*
sparks flying between these guys while they’re
on stage (and not from the pyrotechnics). Their brand
of hard driving melodic punk rock is reminiscent of
such bands as BAD RELIGION, NOFX and ALKALINE TRIO,
possessing qualities of all bands yet not sounding
so similar to any of them to be considered a clone,
their music features high energy, tight musicianship,
and top notch songwriting with lyrics containing substance
and serious weight, as opposed to the mindless drivel
proposed by many of their contemporaries. The groups
official bio on Search and Rescue Record’s site
describes their sound as "all-out punk rock with
some good old rock riffs and catchy moments, regardless
of any trends or fashion scenes".
My only complaint however is thus: I find that the
album is just too damned short, with half of the 12
tracks clocking in at less than 3 minutes a piece,
it’s a short and sweet experience. But, it *is*
punk after all. And let’s face it, before GREEN
DAY, no punk band would consider writing an epic four
minute long song. With a debut this strong, and such
tremendous skill evident in both musicianship and
songwriting ability, these guys stand a good chance
of becoming the band that every other new band sounds
like. Wouldn’t *that* be ironic?
Bottom Line: Old-school skatepunk with modern melody
and finesse, THE SWELLERS come out swinging with their
exceptionally catchy debut “My Everest”.
If you like punk you’ll flip right out of your
Converse sneakers over this one.
Key Tracks: “The Flood”; “This
Is My Everest”; “Vehicle City”;
“Surrounded”
Reviewed by Farron Watson
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