Published on October 16th, 2012 | by Denise Borders
1The Swellers “Running Out of Places to Go” Album Review
The Swellers
I love this band so much. I’m so stoked that they are doing more and more instead of fading into the never ending fog of bands that exist today. They’ve been creepin around for a while now, but I really feel like this album will put them on the pop-punk map. Nick can really whale and their song writing skills are just fucking superb. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? Read this review and ‘n shit.
Track List:
1. Hands
2. Let Me In
3. Bad For Me
4. Making Waves
5. Running Out Of Places To Go
I was warned that I would love this album, which made me all excited ‘n shit to give it a whirl. Okay FINE, I was stoked on hearing this record before that, but whatever. All of that info is irrelevant to the fact that this 5-song EP fucking rules. It came out today on Snowbird Songs so, I apologize for not getting the review out earlier but I mean…. everybody poops.
If you’ve got 15 minutes, then you’ve got enough time to listen to this shit front-t0-back. You might wanna space out more time than that due to the fact that it’s awesome and you’ll just put it on repeat. Duh.
Hands reels you in with a soft drum beat and and an anthem-like chorus. You get a feel for Nick’s vocal range within the first minute (if you aren’t already familiar). This is a great sing-a-long to tap your feet to…. but it gets better, kids.
Let Me In picks up the pace a little more and I’m way into it. The lyrics in this track are just fantastic. It’s got a really catchy chorus that I think a lot of us can relate to. It’s tracks like this that also really display the band’s talent as musicians. FUCKIN CLEAN. Bad For Me is a little more mellow but still picks up the beats ‘n shit. This track sort of lets you know that the band isn’t all rainbows and bunnies. A pop-punk band doesn’t have to always sing about happy shit, they can trek into the darker sides of a situation or express anger just as much as any other group of fellas with instruments and a stage. AM I RIGHT? I say let it out, boys. I think people make some of their best music when expressing anger. Just sayin.
Making Waves is possibly one of my favorite tracks because it’s a NEW song that automatically felt familiar from the first time I heard it. This isn’t in a bad way, as in it sounds like another song, but in the way that it just felt nostalgic like I’d been listening to it since high school. Running Out of Places to Go sounds like it’s going to be a mellow ballad but it sort of breaks into a stronger sound as the track goes on. Personally, I prefer the band’s fast-paced, pop-punk side but I can always appreciate a record having some versatility.
Overall, this record is a must-own for anyone. Even if you’re not a punk rocker (aka lame-o), I think you’ll still enjoy the fuck out of this. You can stream it via their Bandcamp if you want to check it all the way out. I’m pretty sure you can still buy the digital download for $4 or something. If you spend that shit on a Starbucks and not something like this, then U DUM.
Okay, I love and hate you all. Check out my relevant Swellers links below and support a group of good-ass dudes. I mean that both in the “their butts are nice” and “good people” way. Goodbye.
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