It feels a little over-simplified to call SWOUND! pop-punkers, but being that they’re sort of somewhere around the poppier end of WEEZER, GREEN DAY and some of the British alternative rock of the last decade or so, there’s not much else to label the band with’.
The twelve tracks found on ‘Into The Sea’ are by no means rocket science, largely avoiding stepping outside basic song structures and power chords, but if taken for what it is, it’s packed full of charm and listenable moments.
Those who identify strongly with the more “extreme” variations of rock may find the band a little unsatisfying, and the vocals do come off a little half arsed at first, but with a little patience you realise that the band have just about managed to craft a unique blend of styles. It’s something that will earn them fans in their own right, and something that’s often easier said than done.
The MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK-esque synths of ‘If Only I Could’ and old-school ALL AMERICAN REJECTS style of ‘Everybody Hates Her’ mix in well with the rest of the snotty pop-punk at the core of the band’s sound, and it’s a record worth sticking with and enjoying. The band’s live show hasn’t quite been translated as well as it could have been, but the upbeat charm of ‘Into The Sea’ overrides the faults easily, and it’s a solid foundation for the band’s next few years.
In the future, it’d be great to see SWOUND! push the vocals harder and take the great ideas they do have further. Hopefully ‘Into The Sea’ will enable them to do just that.
TOM AYLOTT