by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Last year Cincinnati's Swim Team released their self-titled debut album via Infinity Cat Records' cassette subscription series (curated by Casey Weissbuch), a shinning moment of filthy pop bliss. The band, often described as "thrash pop," don't actually "thrash" in the hardcore/metal kind of way, but there is most definitely an unshakable punk grime that bubbles together with the band's sticky sweet melodies. Just over a year after it's initial cassette release, Swim Team will be available on vinyl via Let's Pretend Records as of June 2nd.
The balance of the dirt and joy is what makes Swim Team's debut so impressive; it's explosive and direct, clawing straight for your throat, but it's also feverishly catchy and easily digestible. The guitars are bleeding with distortion as the bass and drums lock into 90's "college rock" grooves, all setting the tone for Lillian Currens' commanding vocals, alternating between deep howls and squeaky croons. Songs like the raw "Dirty Work" and the impeccably volatile "Goldmine" recall the best moments of bands like Priests and Babes in Toyland before them, with an aggression that feels natural, warranted, and welcome. "Cherri Girls" and "I'm Going To Hell" on the other hand are saccharine sweet, melting through the speakers and offering a brief respite from tension.
In celebration of the album's re-release, Swim Team are sharing a video for one of the record's many highlights, "Reanimator," a love song gone wrong with a tempo that shifts as the song's mood dips and surges. Currens' vocal contortions are front and center, shouting over the sparse rhythms and caterwauling guitars, bending from melodic to fiery shouts without warning. The video captures the band engaging in a bit of suburban malaise out in the woods... there are hatchets, bondage masks, baseball bats set on fire, derelict cars, and a creepy clown, because well... it's the woods. It's destructive and cathartic without reason, just four friends having fun throwing an axe around on a nice day... much like Swim Team's music, the carnage of the video is balanced by the a scuzzy beauty and vivid colors.
Swim Team's self-titled LP is out June 2nd via Let's Pretend Records. The first 200 pre-orders are pressed on limited edition clear vinyl with pink splatter.
Tour Dates:
05/25: Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club w/ RVIVR
06/02: Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Tavern (Album Release Show)
06/16: Detroit, MI
06/17: Ottawa, ON @ SAW Gallery w/ Shellshag & Laika's Orbit (Ottawa Explosion Weekend 2017)
06/18: Montreal, QC @ Turbo Haüs w/ Vacation & Mardou
06/19: Oakville, ON @ Less Than Level
06/20: Kalamazoo, MI @ Shakespeare's Pub
06/21: Chicago, IL @ Milhouse
06/22: St Louis, MO @ The Sinkhole
06/23: Nashville, TN @ Drkmttr
06/24: Chattanooga, TN @ Sluggo's North (Do Ya Hear We? Chattanooga Punk Fest)