This October is a special month for The Swellers. After wrangling over labels for what felt like forever, the band have followed up their self-released 2012 EP, ‘Running Out Of Places To Go’, with a full length record.
‘The Light Under Closed Doors’ is the band’s first LP since ‘Good To Me’ – their 2011 Fueled By Ramen effort that marked the beginning of what they’ll probably refer to as their “rough patch” – and  in the same way as their self-released EP, this is the sounds of a punk band unshackled.
Whether or not The Swellers will look back on their previous long-term home in anger will largely depend on the impact of this No Sleep Records release, but fortunately you get a funny feeling that they’ll do well enough off of the back of it to put the uncertainty of the past few years firmly behind them.
‘The Light Under Closed Doors’ stands at a trim ten tracks in length, and The Swellers have done themselves a massive favour by keeping the quality up throughout. The previously heard ‘Should’ kicks things off in fine fashion, and the band don’t let down with any of the other nine songs. Tracks like ‘Designated Driver’ and ‘Becoming Self-Aware’ keep the backend hurtling forward, and the band have really mastered their sound. Despite being a quintessential “punk band”, The Swellers are instantly recognisable, and this record sees them comfortable in their songwriting and style.
If you’re new to the band, then you’ll find them at the meeting point of Weezer and modern melodic punk rock, and it’s hard to argue against ‘The Light Under Closed Doors’ being a great place to start with the band. The Swellers are looking forward, sounding great and back to their best. A fine album, and one any self-respecting punk fan should be checking out.
TOM AYLOTT