With the amount of utter garbage that's continually propagated on press sheets, it's refreshing to have a change of pace. Swimmers' We Swam As For Behavior Our Behavior makes no outrageous claims, no outlandish bullshit; in fact, there's no press sheet at all, instead a handwritten note on a small piece of orange construction paper. It states the following: "Here is some self-righteous garbage, please throw away. I was paid to put this out." Tempting as it was to heed that advice, I'm glad I didn't, because this is some surprisingly enjoyable material.
Post-punk with an attitude, Swimmers cater to a style not all that far away from the now-defunct Hot Snakes. Hectic rhythms, cascading drum fills, and a style of singing that sounds like a scream. Think a downplayed Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die. The vocalist has all the same style, substance, and swagger that Buckley possesses, but Swimmers' style of music doesn't require quite the level of intensity you'd find with him. Regardless, that's not to say there's no bite to the album, because that would be nothing short of foolish.
Being only a 15-minute EP, you have to provide a potential listener with a considerable amount of substance to get them interested in any possible full-length to be put out. 15 minutes is enough to grab attention, but is that time enough to leave a lasting impression? Swimmers think so. "Domicille, Where I Live" offers some great drumming and off-time signatures as jagged and bouncy as anything else I can remember. While the vocals cater perfectly to the style and substance of music that's being played, it's clearly the guitar work that the most time was invested in fine tuning. Swimmers are definitely not in their league at the moment, but a Drive Like Jehu comparison can easily be made. "Dance Headache" starts out in a much more subdued manner, but quickly picks up steam and ends up being one of the album's more energetic tracks.
Swimmers impress mightily with their debut EP. Any time a band can be compared to such acts as Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu with their very first recorded output, it's safe to say you have a winner on your hands. This jagged, distorted, cacophonous 15-minute effort hopefully serves as nothing more than a precursor of great things to come. Self-righteous? Probably. Garbage? Not a chance.