Album Review: The Swellers - 'Vehicle City Blues'

The first release from Michigan pop punk four-piece The Swellers on their new label, SideOneDummy Records is the vinyl 7” 'Vehicle City Blues/Red Lights'.

This mini-release shows why the Flint outfit is one of the current leading lights in the pop punk genre, and the A-side ‘Vehicle City Lights’ features what you would expect from such a band. Starting off with a quiet guitar and vocal intro, moving into standard quick time drumming and fast riffing, and breaking off into half time beats and stop/start guitars, clocking in at a tick under four and a half minutes, the song deals with some dark imagery. Vocalist Nick Diener sings of depression due to what he sees around him, how it makes him “sick” but the feeling won’t “wash away”, and wanting to cleanse his mind.

B-side ‘Red Lights’ provides a more straightforward two minute pop punk express of speedy double kick drums and, appropriately, a more upbeat theme to the lyrics. Life seems more positive on the other side of this disc, as “red lights turn green for me today”, and everything turning out better, “even though the sky is always grey”.

The Swellers hit their stride with their last album, 'Good For Me', and if this teaser is any indication of what they have in store, they are only going to get better. Exciting times indeed.

1. Vehicle City Blues

2. Red Lights