Can’t Swim have been turning heads with their music recently. Bringing melancholic lyrics into a fast, furious, and dynamic environment, they’ve been met with critical acclaim thanks to their EP ‘Death Deserves a Name’, whilst their punchy and bold live sets have been met with screaming enthusiasm. Now, before they hit the road with Real Friends, Can’t Swim are getting ready to release their follow-up, ‘Fail You Again’.
Opener ‘What’s Your Big Idea’ is a biting and visceral track; it kicks off the album with furious riffs and sets the tone for what’s to come. And what comes is fast, bruising riffs from ‘$50,000,0000’ and ‘One Shot’, whilst a killer bass line is fleshed out with gripping adrenaline and a huge chorus during ‘Stranger’.
‘Kid’ is passionate and heartfelt, whilst closing track ‘All the Moves We Make Are In the Dark’ is a haunting and deliciously dark track to end the album on, with Chris LoPorto’s mighty vocals setting this off. Throughout, front man Chris’ vocals are incredibly powerful and drip with touching emotion; ‘Quitting’ is a perfect example of how versatile his range is, going from rather reserved to huge and rousing in the final refrain.
‘Fail You Again’ is, put simply, an absolutely outstanding debut album. ‘Hey Amy’ and ‘We Won’t Sleep’ are both staggering – blending alternative rock with emotional lyrics, Can’t Swim have offered strong representations of this record’s strength. It’s an album that’s both fast and furious, yet leaves listeners connecting to lyrics that are touching and moving.
JESS TAGLIANI