Label: Pure Noise Records
Released: 3rd March 2023
New Jersey’s freshest peddlers of heavy rock, Can’t Swim have left nothing on the table when it comes to genuine sentiment and unfettered energy in their fourth release, ‘Thanks But No Thanks’. With the band capitalising on their eloquently played aggression, every track rushes by in a frenzy of guitars and thrashing drums then swiftly moves onto the next smasher. It’s intoxicating.
The album’s opener, ‘Nowhere, Ohio’, sets an angsty stage for the record to play on. “Hey heart, I’m speaking. It’s not worth completing. Lost in denial, Nowhere, Ohio,” cries vocalist Chris LoPorto, bearing all on the mixed up state (pun intended) of his emotions. It’s this lyrical honesty that carries ‘Thanks But No Thanks’ to levels above. ‘i heard they found you face down inside your living room’, as the title would suggest, is a testament to the band’s ability to translate their trauma into fantastic music. Although there’s clearly pain in its lyrics, this album perseveres with a resilience and energy that is nothing short of admirable.
Musically, the record continues Can’t Swim’s affinity with walls of guitars that zap electricity into every track and allow ample room for the depth of their vocals. It’s coordinated chaos at its finest. With four full-length albums under their belt in just six years, there seems to be no slowing in sight for Can’t Swim. ■ Connor Fenton
