The Swellers

Running Out Of Places To Go [EP] (2013)

RENALDO69

The Swellers have varied their sound from release to release and lately, it's been a tug of war between slow punk and their older, more fast-paced stuff. They've always been a band whose entire discography I've appreciated as they've always added their own spin on things, even when many fans considered them to be heading to a more generic path. This reissue of Running Out Of Places To Go defines how well they strike the balance and just how far they've come to building on an already-impressive resume.

"Hands" packs KO power here, not only because of how catchy it is, but because the band take it for a ride on the acoustic front too. The pop-punk trait never loses steam here and both songs are effortlessly, and brilliantly, pulled off. The upswinging, anthemic pop-punk sound is as clean and crisp as ever, with vocalist Nick Diener as polished as can be.

The fits of punk do come with a highly melodic influence, staying true to their past endeavors. "Let Me In" and "Bad For Me" shine out even more with Jonathan Diener's amazing work on the kit. His drums compound Nick's and Ryan Collins's guitar work as each tune finds its own distinct sound. The Swellers seem more lyric-oriented as of late and that's not a bad thing at all. Nick gets his chance to shine more as something more than an optimistic, upstart vocalist, and he plays off his strengths niftily.

While "Making Waves" just took the edge off the EP a bit, its strongest point ensues with the title track as the closer. There's a lot of impact and when an acoustic version of it is tossed in the mix, the EP really jumps out more. The Swellers' acoustic prowess is a nice additional touch, and their ability to deliver a fine, prominent splash of pop-punk, effectively and not in any boring fashion, drastically adds weight to why Running Out Of Places To Go works.