Can't Swim
Fail You Again

I’m not sure of anything anymore, that has to be one of the absolute greatest opening lines of an album ever and the way it is delivered makes for some brilliant listening. That opening track is almost as great as its opening line, and the album itself is very exciting. I think that the American band Can’t Swim certainly hit the ground running; first with their celebrated EP and now with an excellent debut album that is called Fail You Again.

Pop punk or emo is probably the best way to describe the music of this quintet, pretty dark and with pretty dark lyrical themes. The album offers plenty of grit, energy, variation and personality; the singer is pretty great for this kind of music with a rather personal and nasal tone. I should also point out that the production is very good. There are forty minutes of playing time on this album and those are spread out over twelve tracks and while they style-wise make music that is difficult to vary that much but I think they have found a fresh perspective and a sound that sounds rather fresh and interesting.

Fail You Again is a great album, simple and very appealing – kind of like the way you want an album in the pop punk genre. It is one of the best albums I have heard so far this year and I really like it. It has no major flaws and keeps me listening from start to end, sometimes several times over and I can recommend that you do the same. Fail You again is certainly not an album that fails its listeners, and a debut album that kicks the ass of most debut albums.

Of the dozen songs we hear on this album I cannot see that any of them is a weaker one and I think that the opening track What’s Your Big Idea? is the best track on the album. I also think that the tracks Friend and Stranger should be mentioned as they are two more great tracks – tracks that make you want to replay this album over and over.

It is a recommended album, and anyone who was about them not being able to swim in the mainstreams of music can breathe a sigh of relief as they swim in those streams way better than most. And even though I’m not sure of anything anymore I am certainly sure of the greatness of this album – a brilliant debut and an album you should not overlook.

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