Ups and Downsizing

Hailing from Flint, Michigan, the Swellers are four average dudes who come from an environment in which upbringing is reflected in your attitude and getting out of dodge isn't as easy as it seems when high school finally ends. The working-class town was one of the focal points in the documentary film Bowling For Columbine Flashdance Roger and Me and for the Swellers' sophomore full-length (and Fueled by Ramen debut), Ups and Downsizing, is a coming-of-age record about everything going on in their own lives -- and seeing it all from the sidelines as well. What is most charming about the album is its clearly stated identity and articulate lyrics that rely on telling a story about something we are all quite familiar with, but haven't heard before. After "Stars" brings all this exuberance full circle, "Dirt" is a bittersweet portrait of death that speaks with abrupt bluntness: "No funeral - there's not a goddamn dime you need to spend ... Don't say a prayer for me today / God and I, we never really spoke anyway." Just as lyrically swift as good friends A Wilhelm Scream, the Swellers have the perfect amount of edge and mainstream capability to bring them widespread attention. Nick Diener never forces anything, and his rugged vocals are tailor-made for the material at hand -- even the acoustic first half of "Stars," which never brings in the strings or the choir arrangements for emphasis. Like any of Fat Wreck's bands, the Swellers merely focus on organic melodies with a tightened, finely-tuned pop-punk core.