Four piece pop punk outfit The Swifts have dropped their debut 10 song album All Sunshine and it is shiny. Actually a little too shiny because you can see the production level on this album from the International Space Station. Really my main complaint about All Sunshine is that it is a bit overproduced and corporate radio ready. The first song on the album is called “Snappy” and it is an excellent song but holy cow how many layers in Pro Tools were there? 80? I really hope on their next album they kick some grit onto the songs, let the music breathe a bit more and I also hope they come out with a live version of All Sunshine with flaws intact.
That being said All Sunshine is outstanding pop punk that’s well written, thoughtful, punchy and very rockin. The CD made five full spins in my car before I thought about switching it out with something else. It’s a clunker free album for sure. Not that every song is amazing but if pop punk is located in the center of your musical Venn diagram somewhere then you will love this album. If you hate pop punk you will loath it.
I very much enjoy the guitar tones (sort of in the Rise Against or Alkaline Trio range) and the six string work in general on All Sunshine. I have heard some say this is a shreddy album but I don’t feel there’s showboating going on just some really nice hooks and progressions. The rhythm section does their job well and is the robust engine driving The Swifts music home. Mike Little’s vocals are solid and delivered with punch and confidence and definitely fitted well to each particular song with intelligent lyrics that engage the listener on many subjects ranging from sincere to party time.
My favorite songs on All Sunshine are “Blackout”, “Normal” and “October Sky” but like I said there are no real clunkers here. Another perk is that All Sunshine is streaming for free on all the usual sites Spotify, Bandcamp etc. But the CD art is killer so you might want to throw down the bucks to get a physical copy.