Swingin’ Utters
dead flowers, bottles, bluegrass and bones
Fat Wreck Chords
dead flowers, bottles, bluegrass, and bones is thirty minutes of pure blue collar grit, with mellifluous undertones scattered throughout. The Swingin’ Utters have juxtaposed raunchy guitars with harmonious choruses that constantly beseech the listener to sing along. It is music for the working-class, that is tacit rather than explicit in presenting its message; oi-boys this band is not. The antecedents of this album, and each of the band’s previous albums for that matter, are unmistakable: the melodic (at times Jamaican influenced) feel of the Clash, the anthems of Sham 69, the raw, guitar-driven energy of (very) early Bad Religion and sporadic country inflection that hints at the Waco Brothers. Yet, by no means is this band derivative. In fact, this is one of the most refreshing “punk” (dare I use that word – what does it even denote these days?) records I’ve heard in a long while. dead flowers, bottles, bluegrass, and bones is visceral and sincere, unpolished and unaffected. It is a wonderful reminder that this thing called “punk” still has a pulse.
Fat Wreck Chords: http://www.fatwreck.com/ • Swingin’ Utters: http://www.swinginutters.com/
