New Jersey rockers Can’t Swim are back & better than ever with their latest album Thanks but No Thanks via Pure Noise Records.
Thanks but No Thanks is the rawest, yet catchiest album ever from Can’t Swim.
Can’t Swim has a long list of successes, including their last few LPs like Fail You Again (2017), This Too Won’t Pass (2018), & Change of Plans (2021). One of my favorite moments is when they surprised fans with an acoustic EP When the Dust Settles back in 2020.
Click here to see our 2020 interview with Chris LoPorto of Can’t Swim.
Can’t Swim’s signature sound includes upbeat rhythms matched with hardcore drums & a spectrum of rock riffs. With Thanks But No Thanks, there has been a shift in musical presentation and lyrics (in the best way possible).
Thanks But No Thanks is hands down the BEST Can’t Swim album to date. It’s like they found the perfect niche of their experiences, emotions, & musicality.
Click here to see our most recent interview with Chris LoPorto.
Check out our album review below!
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Photo Credit: Paige Tate
I love the way the album opens with the drums & riffs of “Nowhere, Ohio”. Something about it just screams shit is about to get real. It’s got that emotional head-bang feel written all over it.
“can you help me?” opens with a bopping beat. This track makes me want to dance around while also feeling those emotions of addiction, anxiety, & depression. It helps people relate but also feel lighter about what they are going through.
Track 3 “me vs me vs all y’all” is a *chef’s kiss” masterpiece. The opening reminds me of A Day to Remember’s signature hard hitting lyrics before it drops into the riff. Literally my favorite kind of opening.
“i’ve never paid a toll on the garden state parkway” is a banger. Another one that makes me want to dance around with the catchy guitar and class Can’t Swim emo vocals.
One of my favorite songs has to be “i heard they found you face down inside your living room” (track 6). It is very clear the amount of emotion behind the music and lyrics in this track is tenfold that of songs on other Can’t Swim albums. The slow tempo really allows the musicality to shine and the lyrics to resonate as you listen. It is hard to talk about suicide: singing about it makes it easy to accept & process.
The title of track 9 “even my anger has issues” just cracks me up. Before I even clicked play, I knew this song would be very relatable. It captures that feeling where you are so fed up with everything, including yourself, and just need someone to help you breathe. I feel like I could jam some of those frustrations to this song.
The record closes with the title track “thx but no thx” and is the best way to round the record out. I can’t explain it, but it encompasses all of the fear & struggle & disappointment from the other songs.
Cover Photo Credit: Paige Tate
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