The Swellers

Beginning of the End Again (2005)

Gunner

A couple years back I met some young kids who told me they were in a band. Nothing too special there, happens all the time, but when they hooked my band up with a show in Michigan, I was blown away by what I heard. Four kids, three still in high school, were playing fast, melodic skatepunk like I hadn't heard from any new band in years.

Fast-forward a few months and the talented kids put out this 7-song EP that is, in all honesty, as close to perfect for a fan of `90s Fat Wreck punk as I've ever heard. It's not the most original sound, with many hints of No Use and Bad Religion with a bit of Dragonforce influence in the guitar work, but the songwriting is spot on and far beyond their years. The vocals are strong, with catchy melodies and tight harmonies, and the musicianship and drumming is all as tight as you could ask for. Best of all, these songs have the urgency and ambition many of their "forefathers" seem to have forgotten on their most recent albums, and of the 7 songs there's not one miss in the bunch.

That should be all I need to say for you to know whether you think this is worth listening to or not. Many of you will scoff at the style you've grown out of years ago, but I'm sure there's a number of you out there who still play your old Strung Out and Lagwagon CDs on a regular basis. You owe it to yourselves to get a hold of this record so you can follow the career of one of the most promising young punk rock bands out there.