Review Summary: Admirable authenticity
Sometimes less is more in a debut. The five-piece pop-punk/ emo rockers, Can't Swim, know what they are and know what they aren't in their debut EP, Death Deserves a Name, which arguably succeeds most at giving off a refreshing sense of authenticity. The lyricism is not particularly poetic, and no single aspect is particularly groundbreaking; yet that does not prevent the group from creating an engaging, albeit rather short, five-track listen.
A thundering bass line collides with crashing drums and stabbing vocals to quickly lay the groundwork of Death Deserves a Name in the opening track, "Your Clothes." It is hard to ignore the up-tempo melodies which energetically weave their way through the EP. Vocalist Chris LoPorto powerfully expresses all the feelings one expectedly endures in the aftermath of a failed relationship: self-loathing, resentment, and helplessness. The listener can't help but to yell along with LoPorto in tracks "Come Home" and "Right Choice" as he continuously laments the pain of heartbreak. Death Deserves A Name successfully walks the tightrope of repetitiveness to the softer, closing title track, where LoPorto's chaotic emotion is on full display as he continually pleads,"A death deserves a name, I've got all my life to bear this pain!" in climatic fashion.
Death Deserves A Name is a fun, 14 minute debut deserving of praise for its own unique twist in a genre full of worn-out retreads. It serves as a desperately needed breath of fresh air in the pop-punk landscape and is worthy of a listen for any fan of the genre.
