Can't Swim

Death Deserves A Name (2016)

RENALDO69

New Jersey's Can't Swim are a band you want to keep an eye on. They've crafted one of the most intense rock albums I've taken in in quite a while with a style that nods to so many different genres. There's something on their EP, Death Deserves A Name, for fans of Saosin, Balance and Composure, All Get Out and Sainthood Reps. Chris Loporto's varied delivery on the mic is one of their biggest assets with a smart blend of aggression and contagious choruses filling the album. 

"Your Clothes" and "Way It Was" are hard-hitting openers that every five-tracker needs to kick off with. They grab your attention and really reel you in for the rest of the record. A lot of what's on tap fits in the vein of Far or Glassjaw as well with the vocals relying on a harsh sense of appeal over prettiness. Every sharp chord set is met by smacking drums as the songs rarely let up until the self-titled closer which is as shimmery as it is melodic. Introspective and once more, pointing in the direction of Cove Reber and Anthony Green. I love how the vocals here even give a sense of cadence a la Foxing which really creates one of the more musically versatile mixes I've heard for the year. There's a lot of potential on tap and I can't wait to see where Can't Swim float out to next. This is a near-perfect sample space as to what they've got to offer. Eager for a full-length now. They've got that underground aura to them but feel like they can go mainstream and still kill it. Indie and DIY but very much with a contemporary promise.