Damn Near Malignant

Swearin’ “Kenosha”

Swearin’ excel at a very particular sort of 90s rock. I’ve seen some people compare them to Superchunk, but to my ears, they are nearly a dead ringer for That Dog, but with a sassiness similar to a U.K. indie band like Sleeper. Of course, these reference points will only make sense if you’re kinda old! The appeal of this is really basic: The chords convey a passive-aggressive angst while feeling just a bit cozy, and Allison Crutchfield’s vocal performance adds subtle dimension to lyrics that could just as easily come across as straight-up bitterness and spite. She’s very sour and cutting on the chorus – “I hope you like Kenosha so much that you stay there,” directed to an ex-boyfriend who has gone back to his college town to visit old friends – but at other points, she sounds genuinely wounded and insecure about the whole situation.

Buy it from the Swearin’ Bandcamp page.