Swingin’ Utters are one of the old Fat Wreck bands that make 30 year olds like me feel absolutely ancient. To my friends and I growing up they were a household name alongside the likes of NOFX, Good Riddance and Strung Out, but mention them to some young whippersnapper at a punk show today and they would likely stare at me blankly.
In any case, ‘Fistful of Hollow’ is the band’s ninth studio album in their incredible twenty year existence (and that excludes their seven year hiatus). The record gives everything the Utters have always given, which is high energy snarling street punk with plenty of eclectic instrumental twists and turns along the way – a musical menagerie that most other punk bands would likely shy away from.
Opening track ‘Alice’ is full of buzzing basslines and rip-roaring gang style vocals that betray the band’s heavy influence from early British acts such as The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers. Whatever your preconceptions are based on this song, they are quickly vanquished as following number ‘Fistful of Hollow’ is far more melodic and much less aggressive. Pennywise this ain’t – no two songs are the same and we’re dealing with a band who focus heavily on the composition and construct of their music.
In fact, ‘Tell Them Told You So’ is actually straight out, just a great pop song. OK so you can still tell it’s been written and performed by a punk band, and it actually bears many of the hallmarks of some of Rancid’s more laid back moments, but ultimately if it found its way onto the radio people would love it first and then afterwards say “What? These guys are a punk rock band?”
This theme continues, with ‘Napalm South’ which has a Southern bluesy swing to it, and ‘Spanish’ which has (surprisingly) Spanish sounding guitars and goes more in a folky direction than a punk one.
However, the Utters don’t forget who the majority of their audience who’ve listened to them for almost three decades are; the final third of the album straps itself to a rocket and blasts through some strong, strapping punk rock numbers like ‘Tonight’s Moons’ and ‘No Talking’. Along with Good Riddance, these guys were always one of the rough and ready bands on Fat, more akin to a traditional Epitaph band, and they show here that they sure haven’t lost their appetite for a good old stamping and scrapping.
If you are already familiar with Swingin’ Utters you’ll be pleased to know that this release isn’t just done to justify their existence. It’s as full spirited and passionate as anything they have ever written and isn’t this why we love these bands? They’re getting older but staying young and fuck anyone who tries to tell them to do otherwise. If you’re a newcomer, this is as good a place to start as any – but afterwards please go get their wonderful back catalogue.
4/5
‘Fistful of Hollow’ by Swingin’ Utters is out now on Fat Wreck Chords.
Swingin’ Utters links: Website|Facebook|Twitter
Words by Alex Phelan (@listen_to_alex)