{3/5}
With Over It attempting to tread mainstream waters and Much The Same calling it quits, things are looking grim for fans of technical, mid-'90s-influenced skate punk. But alongside acts like Ryan's Hope, the Swellers look to quell those fears a bit. Drawing from No Use For A Name's pleading pop elements and A Wilhelm Scream's rugged harmonies and blast-off briskness, the Swellers also manage to capture that youthful, cheeky exuberance of their predecessors on My Everest. They do throw in a few tricks amid all the double-time thrashings, with the soft acoustic number "Keep Looking Where Your Eyes Are Looking Now," a punchy, Drive-Thru-style pop-punk chorus on "Rain Check" and the more restrained tempos and slick melodic hooks of "Clean Slate." Granted, the Swellers do rip out a few pages from the EpiFat playbook, but they're followed with an intriguing candor that may have depreciated on some of their influences. (SEARCH & RESCUE) Brian Shultz
 Official Website: http://www.searchandrescuerecords.com
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