“Can you hear me knocking on your door?”
Upon learning that I had an opportunity to write about Can’t Swim, I was ecstatic. They’ve been one of my favorite bands for the better part of five years, and that’s largely due to the consistency and quality of their releases over that period. Doesn’t hurt that they’re fellow New Jersey natives as well. They had only released their debut EP Death Deserves a Name in 2016, shortly after signing to Pure Noise Records, and since then, they’ve put out two other EPs and two full length records. And now, on October 22nd, another full length enters the fray with Change of Plans and it, in a word, is killer.
The album opens with “Standing in the Dark”, and I feel like it’s the only choice for an opener among the 11 tracks on Change of Plans. Its spacey intro and melodic verses with accented keys ease the listener into the record, but the juxtaposition of the earworm chorus and crushing breakdown on the back half show that Can’t Swim are willing to pull out all the stops with their songwriting. The songwriting is something I will come back to time and time again because it is just that pristine on Change of Plans, and this opener is just a taste of it. This track also features a new vocal style for Chris LoPorto. Since 2020’s Someone Who Isn’t Me, LoPorto has adopted a nasally tone to some of his singing. It’s present in this song and some future ones, and I can’t say I’m the biggest fan when compared to his more traditional singing, but I do not find it overly egregious.
“To Heal At All, You Have To Feel It All” is an immediate change of pace, but maintains the qualities that make so many songs on this album great. I do not consider it one of the stronger tracks, but it’s well put together, and the bridge in particular lends it some great energy, with its quickly-strummed chords. This one came in the form of the second single for the album, and it slightly tempered my expectations, only for the full release to blow that wide open.
The band released “Set the Room Ablaze” earlier this week and it has Can’t Swim going full metalcore, and that’s not just due to the well-placed Caleb Shomo feature of Beartooth fame. The energy on this cut is high, and LoPorto’s vocals are full of braggadocios swagger. And if Can’t Swim aren’t afraid to include heavy passages in their more melodic tracks, then of course they include a mosh worthy breakdown here. My one gripe is that despite Shomo’s feature fitting nicely, I don’t think the performance on it was particularly impressive. He enters the track by screaming “holy shit” and it sounds so off-note and awkward, and he also sounds out of breath at times. Somehow, I still think the feature makes the song better, but there was room for improvement. “Set the Room Ablaze” should also remind fans of the songs from the Foreign Language EP.
“Sense of Humor” is one that I think will blow a lot of people away. I absolutely love the rhythmic chord progression on the intro, and the quick delivery amplifies that rhythm. This song also shows how LoPorto isn’t afraid to use his voice in subtle ways to make a song or a verse pop. Specifically, he accents each chorus with an echo of a scream in a unique pitch; it’s tasty. Furthermore, the breakdown on this song is more brutal than the previous song – the one that’s supposed to be the heavy track. The combination of chords used seem so meticulously put together and the chorus here is as good as any on the album.
“10 Years Too Late” is an interesting cut as I don’t think it gets legs till the bridge, where it then ramps into a beautifully dissonant heavy passage. “I’ve suffered long enough” is just undeniably a great pre-breakdown call too. And once again, LoPorto throws in what seems to be a minor vocal addition, but his belting of “ENOUGH!” has me punching air every time. “Deliver Us More Evil”, on the other hand, is a track that hits the ground running. It’s probably the most lyrically dense on the record, and it’s interesting that the band chose this one to announce the album with. A great choice, in my opinion, but interesting as well. And it’s great because of how equally catchy and direct both the choruses and verses are, to the point where this is one of the catchier songs in their discography. I also love how Silverstein the band gets at the midway point of this cut.
“Opposite of God” is right up there with “Sense of Humor” as my two favorites. This track is something special. I’m a sucker for songs about questioning faith, but there’s so much to like here past that. The chorus is dark and moody, but also so easy to sing along to. And LoPorto literally sings a list of all 7 deadly sins in order, and somehow makes it work and sound epic. It’s a “larger than life” song for them and has really resonated with me.
The next three tracks – “Better Luck Next Time”, “careless.anxious.neurotic.tired”, and “Allamonte Explode” are all stellar tracks that are up to the standard of quality that Change of Plans has set thus far. The band continues their dynamic and engaging instrumental work and LoPorto just blesses every track he’s on with cathartic top lines. Can’t Swim also manage to mix so many sub genres, namely hardcore and pop-punk, and deliver it in a super digestible package.
“Everything That I Know, I Hate” ends the album, and it sounds noticeably Hundredth-esque off the bat with that classic shoegaze guitar tone. It is not exactly a mainstay for the track, but I think it’s an effective new element to help close the record out. It’s a standard Can’t Swim track, though, paling in comparison to some of their other closers, such as “Death Deserves a Name” and “Winter of Cicada”.
Can’t Swim are in full stride on Change of Plans. Instrumentally and vocally, the band has leveled up, and are putting out a body of work that is more varied and dynamic than any that has come before it. Not only do they efficiently genre bend, but they effectively carry sounds from their previous releases and combine it all into what could be their best album. If Change of Plans is about taking life in stride and adapting, then Can’t Swim are undeniably experts.
Change of Plans will be available on October 22nd via Pure Noise, and you can pre-order the record here. For all things music, check back with Boolin Tunes.
8.5/10