The Swellers

The Swellers: My EverestMy Everest (2007)
Search and Rescue

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: sickboiChris
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on June 8th 2007Influences are fairly easy to recognize in the work of younger musicians. Often, the inspired will borrow from their current peers, and the final result is all-too-often the standard carbon copy after carbon copy. With the Swellers, a band with some members that are still teenagers, a new path is be.

Influences are fairly easy to recognize in the work of younger musicians. Often, the inspired will borrow from their current peers, and the final result is all-too-often the standard carbon copy after carbon copy. With the Swellers, a band with some members that are still teenagers, a new path is being forged upon a genre that dominated when most in the group were still in elementary school.

My Everest, the debut LP from the Swellers, is the perfect album for anyone that grew up listening to punk in the mid-1990s. Their brand of highly energetic, technically proficient and amazingly melodic pop-punk will bring to mind the earlier days of bands like No Use for a Name, Lagwagon and Pulley. Skatepunk my friends, yet fresh and modern. My Everest is the perfect summer album, one you can throw on in your car, and go drive around on a warm sunny day without skipping a single song. Granted, there isn't much diversity in the tracks, but is that so bad? The band has found their niche, and is continuing to carve the hell out of it with smooth vocals accompanied by blazing guitars and a nearly flawless rhythm section. Plus, the guitar solos are well-placed and come off without the slightest sense of "cheesiness."

The album's best tracks showcase the Swellers in top form, such as "The Flood" and its breakneck pace yet perfectly balanced melodies. Then you have the highly anthemic gem on the record, "Bottles," a song belonging on any summer mix tape, and deserving of heavy repeat action on your stereo. The album's closer, "The Way Back Home," leaves the listener only wanting more. It's one of the more experimental tracks on the album, but the sequencing of it works out perfectly. Changes in varying paces and a build-up into the final minute with an increasing tempo gives the songs an almost epic feeling. It's good to see some bands closing out albums with songs that rock, which only serves to leave the listener wanting to play the album again.

The only suggestion to the band would be to work on the music's diversity, particularly the vocals, for future efforts. This isn't to say that there is necessarily anything wrong with what is presented on My Everest. For the genre, it's a fantastic effort all around, but for a band so young and with so much talent, it will be interesting to see if the they stay on the same path musically, or try something new. Regardless, with My Everest, the boys have a very firm place to start and I can only imagine they are going to get a lot better, garner more attention, and create even better albums. My Everest is a solid release and highly recommended.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

KevinWhiteDesign (November 7, 2011)

My favorite album of all time. Don't know what the reviewer was getting at with "changing the vocal style". Nick Diener is my favorite singer as well.

swellersfan7407 (February 17, 2009)

My favorite modern punk rock band.

Amsteel (June 4, 2008)

Went to see them and The Artist Life the other night, missed these guys entirely and some of The Artist Life. The show times were wrong on their myspaces.

Anyway, this band is pretty damn good. This album is definitely their best so far, but the vocals are still a bit too 'pop punk' for my liking. When I listen to it I fear my neighbors will scream "EMO" or something. Maybe they'll continue to get a bit 'gruffer' as they age.

AlmostPunkEnough (February 9, 2008)

simply an amazing album. i wish i'd gotten into these guys sooner... of al the stupidities, the name The Swellers somehow turned me off.

i wish that more bands were doing this type of music these days. makes me even more depressed that the mighty Much the Same is gone. oh well, these guys are barely behind MtS, and one day very soon could overtake them in the category of sheer goodness.

otis9791 (July 19, 2007)

Didnt These guys Slash the cartridge family's tires?

baseball (June 18, 2007)

picked this up on a whim when i saw it at the record store with this review in mind

solid album, reminds me a lot of NUFAN and even Much The Same with some of the vocals

guy below is right about the similarity with those two songs and the beginning of Hard Rock Bottom

bigdaddy287 (June 13, 2007)

I cannot take this CD out of my car/CD player at work. It is truly a great release.

One thing I would like to bring up is that no one has talked about the two songs that happen to be my favorite sequence on the album, the acoustic "Keep Looking Where Your Eyes Are Looking Now" leading right into "Skoots", both with extremely powerful lyrical messages as well as great musicality. I never thought I would hear an acoustic song from this band, but this sequence kind of reminds me of the first two songs on NUFAN's 'Hard Rock Bottom', and I like it.

m-oo (June 12, 2007)

Geat album. Driving is overated. Take back our roads!

olddogsneverdie (June 11, 2007)

i think this album is really really good. i'm going to be honest i like these guys MUCH better live. they have a really powerful and energetic live show and both albums failed to fully capture that for me. but this one outdoes their EP by far. i bought it (the ep) the first time i saw them here in stl about a year ago. i didn't really listen to it all that much because it sounded like pretty generic, crybaby stuff. but they have definately grown musically with my everest.

now stop playing shitty venues like the red sea. come back to the creepy crawl bitches.

AphasiacIIC (June 11, 2007)

anyone who thinks this is a dead kind of music isnt looking hard enough... these guys fucking RULE but there are even better newish skatepunk bands out there

Anonymous (June 10, 2007)

This band is amazing. Great guys, to boot... Don't listen to the haters.

-Matt WATU

Anonymous (June 10, 2007)

and oh YA, this album is awesome. I have worn out my copy already. Perfect summer cruising music or boarding. a classic!

nocigar (June 10, 2007)

coldwaffles, fuck you for thinking anberlin is better than this...go hang out with your 13 year old girfriend you pussy

sheflatlines (June 9, 2007)

id like to say:
i love how still after 4-5..however many years the swellers have been a band, they have gotten shit for having supportive parents and family.. seriously you bitter ass flint kids who have alcoholic mommys and daddys that used to work at gm, and now hang out at down the hatch and down the tracks every night and dont want you to have your shitty friends over to have "band practice" because the walls of your trailer are too thin and last months rent hasnt been paid to the park yet..need to go to hell. sorry that life blows for you. but just because you suck at living doesnt mean this band is bad in anyway.
i love them, always have all 5/5ths of the 4 members are awesome dudes, and so much fun to be around, not to mention killer musicians, they are tight as hell musically, the vocals and guitars are outstanding and the drumming is nearly flawless as mentioned before. Being a long time friend and fan, i dig the old stuff, and some of it holds a special place in my heart and can never be outdone, but this album is fantastic. And definitely has some songs that are summer anthem worthy.

so haters fuck off. nobody cares, sorry you couldnt purchase the album on your bridge card. better luck next time.

Rawls_with_Balls (June 9, 2007)

Anyone see these guys upstairs at the Duck when they playd with s.r.b.? If so, there's no need to mention that it all went down in Sarnia because you'll already know.

Anonymous (June 9, 2007)

"The Way back Home" is the classic on this CD, boys and girls...

coldwaffles (June 9, 2007)

I really like this album, "Bottles" in particular, but you guys are hyping it just a little too much. It's no where near album of the year, dudes.

Better releases include: Anberlin, Big D, Comeback Kid, Dustin Kensrue, Explosions in the Sky, Hot Cross, Bayside, Lifetime, Smoke or Fire, Sundowner, and Strung Out, to name a few.

It is, however, incredible considering the relative "size" of this band. "Bottles" may be a song of the year though.

Though, I don't think they'll ever do better then "The Inside." That track is class.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

I wish good things for these guys, they work their asses off, are great live (super tight) and are actually some of the nicest people you will run across. great progression in their music over the last 2 years, makes me look forward to the next cd.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

P.S. The score below is for the stupid poster I quoted.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

"if i want to listen to a dead era of music i'll go to when it was good, not to when some suburban flint kids recorded it in thier home studio."

Right. Punk and Hardcore are dead. Let's listen to Operation Ivy and Minor Threat everyday for the next 30 years.

Douche. You've gotta be kidding me.

lance_nelson (June 8, 2007)

The album was recorded at Sentient Studio (http://myspace.com/sentientstudio) in Chicago, IL, not a home studio. Just to clear up any misonceptions.

onegirlarmy (June 8, 2007)

also, it may not be their home studio, but it's someones home studio.

Why is it such an issue where it was recorded? Maybe they or their label didn't have the budget to get into a full fledged studio.

die_die_die (June 8, 2007)

I was gonna review this but I was more curious as to who on the staff would tackle it (my guess was Brian or Aubin). Honestly man, this whole thing blends together.The music overall keeps relatively the same sound and the vocals don't help much. It's only a record you wanna listen to every once in a while. Fun yet heavily flawed, and I wanted to love it.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

also, it may not be their home studio, but it's someones home studio.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

"if i want to listen to a dead era of music i'll go to when it was good, not to when some suburban flint kids recorded it in thier home studio."

i couldn't agree more with this statement

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

This band is amazing, and this is going to be an "Album of the Year" contender. I know it's only June, but trust me. It's some of the best hardcore/punk out right now. I kid you not.

mrstylson (June 8, 2007)

They're alright, but they're no Asschapel

onegirlarmy (June 8, 2007)

does no one else notice the phallic connotation of the band name and album.

Um... nobody thought that about the album title until you said it, you've now ruined it for me. thanks a lot.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

this is a MUST SEE band live. check their tour dates and go see em if your close, you wont be disappointed

MrStylson (June 8, 2007)

This band has sweet hair

lance_nelson (June 8, 2007)

"does no one else notice the phallic connotation of the band name and album"

Whoa, this person is a fucking genious. I play in this band and never even though about that.... HAHA! Nice one, seriously!

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

Haha, amazing. I don't think the band name was ever lost on anyone, even though that was probably never the point. I'm sure even the members (lol, members) of the band get the joke.

I definitely didn't think about the album title though. I should start calling my penis "My Everest" because it is the largest in the entire world...much like the mountain. True story, just ask your mom.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

does no one else notice the phallic connotation of the band name and album.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

http://punkradiocast.com/TOP10.php

vote to keep them at #1!

sickboi (June 8, 2007)

Ryan, don't hate on the HYPE. I'm gonna start HYPEnews.org. I've already got MAD financial contributions from all of these powerhouse labels like XOXO and Sabot.

-chris

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

to the asshole who is jealous that his band couldnt make it:

So what if their parents helped to buy them a new van? Did your parents pay for you to go to college? would you say thats an investment in your future? So is them getting the new van you twat.

These guys are all stand up guys and care 100% about what they are doing. Maybe you had a bad experience with 2/5 of them even though there are only 4 of them, but if you wanted to resolve the issue maybe you should talk to them, and cry about how you band sucks.

eat a dick.

cuapunkradio (June 8, 2007)

i almost forgot...this review is a bunch of blatherring HYPERBOLIC bullshit!! score is for the sultan of hyperboly

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

To the D-bag way below:

1) You are going to slam these guys because their parents allegedly helped them get a van? Get a life, no one turns down well intentioned help. I highly doubt you've never accepted a handout or a favor in your life. Unbelieveable that you would get down on family helping each other out. I'm sorry your home life wasn't that great.

2) The album was recorded at Sentient Studios in Chicago. It says right on the album artwork. What home studio are you talking about?

3) These guys wrote good songs back when they were still in highschool which is pretty rare. Years ahead of their time. I got their old old album at a show 3 years ago. It wasn't groundbreaking or anything, but it was unbelieveable considering how old they were at the time.

4) Jealousy and envy won't make your shitty band any more successful. Don't be bitter because no one likes your horrible band and no one comes to your shows. I know that is what this is about. I bet you are in another Fenton/Flint band that can't get signed, can't get fans, and has been sucking hind tit for the past few years. I'd bet money on it.

Dante3000 (June 8, 2007)

It's clear this guy who hates them has confused them with The Human Abstract. It's cool I'm sure it happens all the time.
My parents bought me a new van (and I don't even tour). I took that bitch, drove over to the home of a guy I knew in a long time touring band (who shall remain unnamed) and burned that mother fucker down in front of his house, told him the insurance would give me cash for the totaled van, reported him for the arson of my new van and then laughed when he was put in jail because he was too poor to get anything besides a public defender.
Don't be jealous because you're poor.
-Dante
P.S Thou shalt not make some noise for Detroit.

nocigar (June 8, 2007)

this album is so awesome

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

Good album. But I feel like they kind of lost what made them the swellers. They kept that same feel. But I feel like the EP was a lot more diverse. Every song had it's own identity. Nick sounds like Gunner from Much The Same(deceased). They seem to have calmed down a bit. A lil more No Use For A Name sounding.

But still really good.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

to the guy claiming these guys are shitty people,
you couldnt find four (2/5?) nicer guys.

they all genuinely care about what they are doing and the scene they come from (which gasp! happens to be the flint scene, flint local 432 anyone?).

onegirlarmy (June 8, 2007)

I liked the EP a bit more but this is a solid debut full length. And to the guy a few posts down, I'm sorry you have personal issues with them, but is it really necessary to drag it on to a public website? Keep beef to yourself and don't try and start drama.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

Honestly, these guys are amazing muscians and people. The new album is great and is quite a bit more mature than the EP. I can't wait to hear more. And ignore the idiot below.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

2/5ths? There are 4 members.

spoon_of_grimbo (June 8, 2007)

checked out the stuff on their myspace, pretty fucking cool stuff!!! next time i got a few spare quid, i'll hit interpunk for this!

spoon_of_grimbo (June 8, 2007)

i'd heard a lot of hype for this album and largely ignored it, as i had them mixed up with the slackers, and i havn't been in the mood for reggae much recently. however, having read this (very well written) review, i'm thinking i'll check them out!

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

no sickboi, its getting bought everything, and claiming youre from a city that has nothing except an old gm plant and a horrible economy that runs on alcohol. i have other issues with the band to, trust me.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

this sounds worth checkin out based on all the positive words and lovin the skate punk as well??, maybe I will pick this up on the way home today my 41st birthday, yay me-oldpunker-

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

how lucky are they to be popular in japan. I would kill to have someone actualy PAY for me to go there

sickboi (June 8, 2007)

Awwww....someone sounds jealous.

So fucking what if they were bought a van. What's wrong with your family being supportive of what you love?

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

these guys suck. musically they suck. as people, 2/5ths of them suck. thier live show is boring. the best part is when they show up in thier brand new extended van thier parents bought em after the touring bands that have been playing before they could even hold a guitar show up in thier 80's chevy vans with attatched trailer. if i want to listen to a dead era of music i'll go to when it was good, not to when some suburban flint kids recorded it in thier home studio.

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

love these guys, love the record...yeah!

punkengineer (June 8, 2007)

One of the best albums of the year hands down.

cuapunkradio (June 8, 2007)

solid. when in va/dc burritos are on me (its usually beers yet not applicable with this band).
fact: bears eat beets

Anonymous (June 8, 2007)

This album is simply amazing. If you thought their EP was good, this is even better! Also, if you have the chance to go see them live do it. It was a super fun time. I saw them a few months ago in NJ and they there tight as fuck. If you enjoy music in the vein of Much the Same, Strung Out, NUFAN, Ryan's Hope, Counterpunch and NOFX you will love these guys. Influences are evident but they have truly created their own sound.

- Ant

kirbypuckett (June 8, 2007)

I dunno about 4 stars, but I enjoyed this record while you were spinning it in your car.

- Kirby

punk_rawk_show (June 8, 2007)

fuck i just listened to a few songs and they are fucking good, they remind me alot of Much The Same

Ollywood (June 8, 2007)

these guys are big in japan

freaky003 (June 8, 2007)

They're also playing in Miami June 30th. I can't fucking wait!

punk_rawk_show (June 8, 2007)

Ive heard good things about these guys, havnt yet listened but im always searching for new SkatePunk bands, there just arnt enough skatepunk bands around like Pullley and Lagagwan today

skolarx (June 8, 2007)

hmm forgot to add that they are awesome guys, and hopefully i'll catch them around soon (i think i missed like 3 of their shows in the past week) and get a chance to pick this up

skolarx (June 8, 2007)

also fac these guys like to talk about the org for some reason if you see them at a show or at least jon and nick do

GlassPipeMurder (June 8, 2007)

Fact: these guys read the 'org.

Dante3000 (June 8, 2007)

Fuck that twig armed kid.
-Dante