SWINGIN’ UTTERS
Drowning in the Sea, Rising with the Sun
FAT WRECK CHORDS
8/10
PUNK ANTHOLOGY: This 33 song look back at California punkers Swingin’ Utters’ history is a fun and oddly satisfying listen. Oddly because 33 song punk anthologies tend to be exhausting, but here the Utters prove just why they’re so great, from midtempo melodic punk songs like “As You Start Leaving” to fun, surf spy punk like “Tell Them Told You So.” But one of the great things about this band is its ability to switch over to a sort of drunken, sincere acoustic sound. It doesn’t sound forced or cloying at all, it just sounds like honest music. Hear “My Glass House” and “End of the Weak” for two great examples of that—there are others; the band is very adept at this side of their sound. These quieter songs, perfectly placed on this collection to provide some breathing room, are incredibly touching and well written. “The Librarians Are Hiding Something” is one of the best examples of the Swingin’ Utters at its best, all jangling high energy, non-obvious melodies, and pure punk attitude. It’s a killer song that young punks will discover 50 years from now and just absolutely fall in love with. Really, this whole anthology is full of songs like that. This collection spans the band’s whole career, from 1995’s The Streets of San Francisco to 2014’s Fistful of Hollow, and what a career it’s been. ~ Greg Pratt
