Can't Swim "Change Of Plans" (2021)

 

Don't be fooled, the oddly Gothic, Danzig alike album cover doesn't accurately reflect the emotive suburban vibes this group emanate. Can't Swim are my personal antidote to the Emo / Screamo scenes I turned a nose up at in my youth. These millennial musicians revive the glory of their past years, bringing musical maturity to their first world, woe ridden lyrics. With poppy song structures, catchy hooks and a melodic tint to garnish, Change Of Plans is the bands third but sadly the least impressive, possibly a case of familiarity as the band stick firmly to what works with a little twist of anger.

With Pop-Punk themes of adversity lacking troubles. Social squabbles, relationship woes and self doubts, the lyrics play from a light hearted teenage place with just a sprinkle of maturity. These are adult problems expressed with the lens of youthful angsty ideas that sway it far enough from perils. Its left in a precarious place where you can leave or take it. Personally Its not a bother but bar one or two lines I didn't find much to connect with, however the delivery and honesty in LoPorto's vocals is charming. The vulnerability and self coddling style is endearing, often manifesting into a hook with a knack to make his words catchy and flow with the groove.

The music is carved up into the typical inflections, lots of moody melodic plucked acoustic chords that bleed into vibrant distortion tones with all degrees wedged in between. Most these songs have a layer of aggression that sways back and forth from its guitars. Its not to adventurous, sticking to typical song structures and compositions with plenty of bright, harmonious singing. The point would be that they do this so well.

Where things detour is with a stronger sense of Hardcore and breakdown energy which the genre is adjacent too. On three or four tracks they step into this space boldly, not something I remember from their previous records. Better Luck Next Time and its jaunting breakdown goes full in on the aggression with palm mute chugs and tropes from the more metallic end of the spectrum. Sense Of Humor and its "Look who's laughing now" lyric slaps another breakdown in a track It doesn't feel fit for.

Whats interesting is how well executed these ideas are, the problem is they don't fit the overall mood which tends to be more introspective and mall shop sorrows than anger fueled resolution. A couple other songs have a breakdown stitched on the end and whenever it comes around, it feels like a sudden shift. Despite this jarring union of ideas, Change Of Plans is solid with plenty of catchy tunes. Its one to throw into the shuffle playlist and see what sticks with time.

Rating: 7/10

Can't Swim "Foreign Language" (2019)

Released as a short twelve minute EP, the emotive Post-Hardcore group Can't Swim of Kansas Missouri take a break in stride from their albums and vent frustrations with this loud and angry outlet of channeled frustrations. It hosts an array of guests, singers who you'd presume are friends of the band, brought on to throw a little spice into this mini project. Ultimately its lyrical themes feel a bit force fed, anger led, a spewing of emotions that don't particularly add to conversational depth but certainly enforce the aggressive tone felt on the instrumentals. Police brutality, wealth inequality, evil and corruption are some of the themes delved into at the surface level.

Their melodic song writing and knack for hooks that I grew so fond of on Fail You Again tend to be the fall back in breaks from intensity. Each song has a angle that tends to push the music towards Crossover Thrash territory. Spews of gang shouts come thick and fast, reminding me fondly of Iron Reagan. A couple of ridiculous break downs play up the fun between the onslaught of thrashing guitars. As a whole it blitzes by fast with a hurtling energy as these short songs burst at the seems in aggressive mania. It does lack depth and feels somewhat novel in the shadow of a sound they execute far better but as a side projects its fun and maybe not to be taken seriously.

Favorite Track: Shoot

Rating: 4/10

Can't Swim "This Too Won't Pass" (2018)

Last years Fail You Again was a peach! Now Can't Swim are swiftly back at it for round two with their sophomore record. They hit the ground running and kept going. Now there is a real contest between the two records because once again we have another solid set of songs you'll struggle to figure out your favorites from. This Too Won't Pass clearly steps in a brighter, pop direction with more tuneful singing and a generally lighter tone that can be heard in frequent acoustic guitar breaks and Emo, Pop Punk and Indie Rock strains in their sounds. It doesn't derive far from the blueprint at all and once again they challenge my conceptions of Genre's I'm less comfortable with as they pull off musical tropes with a touch of genuine class.

The record is wholly defined by its lyrical themes of breakups, heartaches and relationships. Chris LoPorto has a fantastic ability to channel his stories and musings into a catchy hook that resonates with the core of the song. It can be poetic, intelligent and blunt but more often a mix of all three. There is a fantastic chemistry at work, his words flow through the musical changes in temperament, always inline with the instrumental energy. Tracks like Amnesia 666 executes this with a stunning symmetry. Much like the instrumentals he exhausts a wonderful range of intensities with clean to screams consistently molding a unique persona for each track. The backup shouts and throaty yells of his band mates are not quite on his level. Bordering cringy at times but just about finding themselves on the right side of the line.

Much like their front man, his fellow musicians bring about a fantastic variety of intensity, color and charisma to flourish these themes into vivid visions with a ranged approach from the distortion guitars. They flex a whole range of chords, picking and strumming styles with varying degrees of overdrive that set distinct moods and compliment his words. The songs may have repetitive, simpler structures in places but the chemistry is so strong that each return of a riff or section feels as fresh as the play through before. The drummer also plays a key roll in fusing this all together with lively animated playing of grooves that flesh into the tom drums and livens up many of the chunky bass guitar grooves heard deeper in the mix.

For a record outside my comfort zone its quality really speaks volumes that the music transcends styles and themes I don't particularly vibe with. There are many objective moments where I heard something I wouldn't normally dig but these guys pull it off with true artistic intent and emotional meaning. Perhaps its just the open mind fighting old preconceptions. Either way I think it might be worth investigating more bands in this realm because if there are others as good as these guys I'm sold!

Favorite Tracks: My Queen, Hell In A Handbasket, Malicious 444, Amnesia 666, Winter Of Cicada

Rating: 8/10

Can't Swim "Fail You Again" (2017)

 Picking something a little out of my field, New Jersey based Can't Swim's debut record has been just the right measure of styles for me to get behind. Alternative, Punk Rock with tinges of Emo, Grunge and Hardcore, the band is steadily rooted in scenes I'm less accustomed with yet its no stretch to understand this is great songwriting. Intelligent and expressive the band convey their message with no reliance in cheap tricks or tropes. Its an open, honest book on relationships and life's challenges that comes with a sense of working it out through the music, emotional, colorful and ripe.

The vocalist makes quite a mark with a strong, sung shout that strains and stretches, often with conviction and ferocity. At times he really pushes his range, putting an odd unhinged, off note charm into the mix that may turn off some. Its a great voice for a surprisingly rich and absorbing aesthetic, married to thoughtful compositions that do their part to flesh out what could be simplistic. The result, indulging songs, easy to get to grips with that have a lot of depth. On the surface one can appreciate the drummers creativity, shaking up the patterns on each repetition and steering the momentum of the music with fantastic fills and rhythms.

Digging deeper, the guitars flex between gentle and aggressive in easy harmony, layered with tones and coming at different measures of intensity, the variations from song to song keep the glass full from start to end. Edged out distortions and overdriven acoustics push back and forth as these songs rise and calm, forever unfolding. The band can go from big grooves to soft swooning melodics effortlessly, Its great song writing and they can load in great sing along hooks that give them a smart pop edge in some regards. I couldn't pick a favorite track, its as if no songs have a weak spot, not often you get a record that delivers from start to end, the constant shifting in tone really wets the water for the river to flow, creative, fun, meaningful record executed brilliantly.

Rating: 8/10