Sound The Sirens!
One of the most empowering voices in Rock belongs to Kellin Quinn of SWS, his range and ability are second to none, their first album generated the unforgettable ‘If I’m James Dean’ and for me it is a song that features highly on my list of favourites. If we do away with the emo/screamo/punk tags, you will see that SWS have in their time covered many styles of music. they are flexible and fluid in their creativity which results in fresh and vibrant ideas and song structures. They have afforded themselves a stellar fanbase ‘The Strays’ who are a rabid bunch of outsiders and outcasts that found love and companionship despite their beginnings being strained and destructive.
Drawing from life experience, SWS address all manner of human nature, habits, actions and consequence, it is a series of life lessons told accurately and sensitively, as sometimes the truth hurts, but so do lies. Probing deep into the psyche, they strip away the layers to reveal inadequacies and frailties that appear as demons who seek to control and destroy us.
Kellin’s voice is way higher than my self-confidence, an aural feast my friends, he toughs it out with the best of them and then gingerly caresses your weary carcass.
‘Never Enough’ sees a guest appearance from the anthemic Benji Madden, there have been so many artists popping up on his year’s releases, it really shows the scope and richness that the metal scene proudly presents. The title track begins and at 0.26 the mirror is held up and I see my entirety in the words ‘I’m a little crazy…’ combined with his facial expression, I assure you he wrote that for me.
‘Ghost’ delves into the difficult world of relationships and at 2.07 is the bridge to die on.
What SWS do is relay serious messages in simple terms, there are no big words here, each and everyone one of us knows what is being said. The frenzied guitaring in ‘Break Me Down’ bolsters the twists and turns of our tangled lives, relevant and relatable.
‘Talking To Myself’ is another slice of super bubbly pop punk , that’s until you get kneecapped at 2.09, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul. We finish with acoustic renditions of three tracks, raw, emotive and tapping into a dimension that requires no introduction.
This album is the reason why people don’t want to die, they just want the hurt to subside. Join us and feel lost on the same highway, on the same wavelength and at the same frequency. If you’re going to take something from here then take this ‘you can’t change what you were born into, don’t let it bury you’ wise words from our friends who’ve seen too much.
I’ll love you and leave you folks, I’ve got a hot date with James Dean.
Sleeping With Sirens – How It Feels To Be Lost (Deluxe) out now via Sumerian Records