The Swellers are only two full-lengths into their career, but their path thus far has been as interesting as any band that's been around for much longer than they have. Signing with Fueled By Ramen Records to release their debut Ups and Downsizing, the band were instantly on everyone's radar as the next pop-punk band to break through into the mainstream. They had the backing of a great label with a sterling track record (it was Fueled By Ramen that brought us the likes of Fall Out Boy and Paramore), and an album filled with anthems like "Fire Away," "Dirt," and "2009." However, their follow-up Good for Me failed to meet the expectations set for the band, and their relationship with Fueled By Ramen ended. Now label-less, the band have emerged with an EP titled Running Out of Places to Go, and provides the perfect soundtrack for their situation: a band at a crossroads.
Running Out of Places to Go, put simply, is exactly what you'd expect to hear from The Swellers: fast-paced tracks with catchy choruses that find frontman Nick Deiner adding his signature yell over the band's punk-leaning rock tracks. However, the band's current standing without a label to call home seems to have added an even higher sense of passion and urgency than what the band have showed in the past, which is certainly saying something. "Hands" begins with drummer Jon Deiner opening the EP with an interesting stick-tapping routine, and starts off a little slower than the rest of the tracks. The track bursts open by the time the first chorus begins, and the gang vocals accent Nick Deiner's vocals perfectly towards the end of the song. Up next is "Let Me In," which opens in grand style before breaking into a blistering set of verses. "Get up, and don't waste my time," Nick Deiner sings in the chorus, speaking of getting over a recent break-up. Nick shows fear in being alone, but his lyrics add a hint of optimism, which accents the soaring guitars he and Ryan Collins add to the song.
Nick Deiner's vocals open up "Bad for Me," another song that seems to be about the breakup featured in "Let Me In." Where "Let Me In" shows optimism in moving forward, "Bad for Me" shows the band venting a little more anger about the situation. "Making Waves" is the fastest track of the EP, clocking in just above two and a half minutes, and picks up the energy to its peak. Jon Deiner and bassist Anto Boros power the track, and Nick Deiner comes off angry as ever on the track as well. The EP closes with a title track, which slows down the pace significantly from "Making Waves," but rather than sucking the energy out of the EP, "Running Out of Places to Go" proves to be the most emotional Swellers track yet. The title track builds on what the band did on all the tracks prior to it, and sends the EP out in a blaze of glory.
While Running Out of Places to Go is likely a stop-gap between full-lengths for The Swellers, the band still find a way to accomplish something great on it: they've translated the energy that they've become known for to a new level of emotion due to their current situation as a band to create songs that not only provide a snapshot of where the band's at, but where they're hopefully headed. They may never be selling out arenas like a few of the bands they once shared a spot on Fueled By Ramen Records, but there's reason to believe that The Swellers still have their best work ahead of them.
The Bottom Line: The Swellers give us a taste of what's to come, and it ends up being really, really good. If you're a fan of the band, you'll love Running Out of Places to Go, even if it makes the wait for the band's next full-length a little more unbearable.
Recommended if you rock: Four Year Strong, Make Do and Mend
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