Can’t Swim // Thanks But No Thanks // Album Review

New Jersey rock band, Can’t Swim, are back with its fourth full-length studio album, Thanks But No Thanks. With three albums and three EPs already under their belt, the New Jersey Rock/Pop-Punk 4-piece is back with more drive and ambition than ever on their 4^th full-length studio album. What once was presented as insurmountable obstacles on previous albums are now framed as hard-but-necessary lessons that need confronting to move forward and grow, calling upon new levels of resolve and strength to dull down life’s demons. Through it all, the band have been able to truly block out the noise and let their conscience resonate loudest of all.

Within moments of the opening track, Nowhere, Ohio, the Pop-Punk sound heads to the centre stage, but with a level of depth in the instrumentals and lyrics reminiscent more of the Mid-West Emo scene. The catchy choruses keep the opener moving at a steady pace while the gentle breakdowns help create a heavy atmosphere before moving into a much more traditional Pop-Punk sound on Can you help me? The third and fourth tracks, Me vs Me vs all of Y’all and Met u the day the world ended fall fully into the audio realms of Pop-Punk with a sound reminiscent of early Neck Deep.

Yer Paradox I’m Paradigm returns to the heavier focus on Emo with some great atmospheric guitar work that helps elevate it sonically before moving into one of the emotionally heavy tracks I’ve heard so far this year, I heard they found you face down inside your living room, a track about the death and mourning of a close friend that feels dark, emotionally honest and full of depth that helps make the song feel genuine to the listener. The band quickly changes the tone afterwards to an angry punk anthem, ELIMINATE, blending catchy, simple instrumentals with a call to arms to end gun violence.

To save some surprises for listeners, I’ll stop talking about the individual tracks there. Can’t Swim has managed to find their own niche sound within the ever-growing Rock and Pop-Punk sphere with Thanks But No Thanks. From a level of depth and integrity within the lyrics and instrumentals that really makes the album feel like a passion project, to the range of genres interweaved into every track that helps demonstrate the band’s immense talent as songwriters, fans of the band are in for one hell of a treat. Even more impressive though, is that this feels genuinely like the best starting point for new listeners to jump in with the band. An utterly fantastic album that fans of Emo and Pop-Punk shouldn’t hesitate to put on repeat.

Thanks But No Thanks arrives Friday, March 3rd via Pure Noise Records

Review: Dan Stapleton

Pre-order Thanks But No Thanks now HERE.

Can’t Swim is gearing up to head out on tour supporting Free Throw. Beginning March 3rd in Buffalo, NY at The Rec Room, the band will visit over 25 cities across the country including stops in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Anaheim, San Diego, Houston and more before wrapping up on April 9th in Worcester, MA at the Palladium. See below for a full list of dates and get your tickets now HERE.

Thanks But No Thanks Tracklisting