SWMRS - Berkeley Is On Fire

SWMRS - Berkeley Is On Fire

For a city like Oakland, politics seems to run in the blood. Ever since the 1960’s the bay area has been a hotbed of political activism. The student protest movement began there, it’s a stronghold for LGBTQ+ communities and its musical history has long had ties to social advocacy. With SWMRS however, there is upheaval literally in the blood. Drummer and face of the band Joey Armstrong is the son of Billie Joe Armstrong, and he has all his father's mischief and the arrogance of a millennial. A potent combination that fuels much of the fire of SWMRS latest album Berkley is On Fire.

From the very outset, SWMRS are clear in their intention, in that they wish to annoy. The image of Berkeley, the home of protest, in flames is a poignant one that is offset by exaggeration. In the eponymous opener, they are quick to point out the reality of the situation, that the city will survive as it has done before. This hyperbolic combat of melodrama and subsequent embrace of its energy fuels the pulsing temper of Berkeley… The clear Green Day influences (tongue in cheek humour, self-deprecation, being perpetually pissed off) are a little too jerky to fully enjoy, but its far from derivative. Armstrong and Co. elect to pull a variety of influences, from electronic to surf rock to ska, which most tracks containing an urgency that is akin to a taper tantrum.

Few escape the ire of the bay city rockers, as politics, mainstream media, Milo Yiannopolous and Vladimir Putin all feature on the cutting board. Their punk-infused hip hop beats and draconian yelps inform their discourse, while the intense instances are flavoured with the bitter satisfaction of a lovers spat (2019 is a fucking disaster, Dear Vladimir Putin, stop fucking up my shit... Well, I'm feeling antisocial, Misnanthropic all around us, Really over being anywhere at all, But I'm scared of drinking alone). At its best, Berkeley… is the soundtrack to a warm-up before a riot. It's got passion, implosions, misdirection and no small amount of confusion. Certain tracks seem like puzzling additions (IKEA Date and Bad Allergies), as their lack of energy seems to defy the more redeeming aspects of the album, but the high points are jubilantly delinquent. The pogoing inclination and hand clap beat of Too Much Coffee, the playful toxicity of Trashbag Baby and the deep frustrations of Hell boy are all winners, while their variations in pace, topics and seriousness are seemingly designed to agitate and incline you to think. Political tracks carry a weighted emotion, carried by the frenzied pace and spitting disturbance, while break up tracks embrace breaks from the heavy topics, offering more playful licks and singalong choruses.

The biggest take away from Berkeley Is On Fire is that despite its bluster, it seems content to complain rather than explain. Petty politics is no stranger to punk, nor is the absence of answers and while Berkeley… presents many problems, the aggressive beats and liberal arts fury offers no alternatives. And yet, why should it? The energetic acrimony and indulgent IDGAF attitudes are inarguably fun, even if it has been seen before. The fact that SWMRS are inspired to continue to illustrate questions and issues means that there's still an appetite for them, and maybe questions for question's sake is something 2019 could use a bit more of.



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