Swan Prince are a four piece pop punk band from Redditch. The band, consisting of Rachel Blewett (guitar/vocals), Jamie Ruston (guitar), Dan Marr (bass) and Josh Stockwin (drums), only formed in September of 2017 but are quickly making a name for themselves throughout the UK's underground punk rock scene. In June they released their debut EP Never Look Back. Knowing that Swan Prince are influenced by some CPRW favourites in the form of Bad Cop Bad Cop and The Bombpops, I was keen to check out Never Look Back.
Never Look Back begins with the song Disguise. This is everything you would expect from a melodic pop punk song. Immediately the melody catches you and hooks you into the song, like a fisherman with a tasty bit piece of bait. The song really comes into its own when it gets to the chorus. It's one you'll learn the words to very quickly and will remain in your head for a long time. Disguise is about learning the truth about someone and seeing through the pretence they have been putting on. The New Normal has a bit more of a downbeat feel to it and maybe even a slightly darker sound. Blewett's vocal reflects this as it doesn't hit the same highs as it did on Disguise. That said, it's a song packed with hooks. The "whoa-ohs" that begin the song quickly have me wanting to see where the song goes and I feel like they'll be fun at a Swan Prince live show. The New Normal is a track about dealing with mental health issues and trying to accept them in your everyday life.
Running On Empty brilliantly blends skate and pop punk. The band play hard and fast as an accompaniment to Blewett's sugary sweet vocal. Musically I'm sort of reminded of Pennywise, which is not something I really imagined I'd be saying about a band who describe themselves as a pop punk band. Josh Stockwin's drumming really stands out here. The final song is titled Find The Answer and is about trying to solve life's problems and to be happy. I've said many times on CPRW that I love when a final song on a release feels like a final song and Find The Answer definitely does that. There is a wonderful moment of building on the outro of the song that adds a feeling of epicness to the track, giving it a big feel.
Never Look Back is an EP that showcases a band with a huge upside. Swan Prince have written four great pop punk tracks that are not only great fun but lyrically very important. They help you to see that you're not alone and there are many people going through the same thing as you. The more bands that do this the better! Are Swan Prince on their way to becoming the next big thing in the UK punk scene? Perhaps it's too soon to say but I wouldn't bet against it.
Stream and download Never Look Back here: https://swanprince.bandcamp.com/album/never-look-back
Like Swan Prince here: https://www.facebook.com/SwanPrinceBand
This review was written by Colin Clark.
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