Sharkswimmer

On their debut LP and first release for Really Rad Records, Serenity, Sharkswimmer calls forth the aggressive melodicism of 90s post-hardcore. The hook-heavy punch of 2010s alt-rock acts that is dripping with personality. Written over several months and recorded with producer/engineer Jon Markson Serenity is, at its core, a remarkably well-crafted alt-rock record with bursts of aggression that befit the band's DIY roots. Disarmingly earnest lyricism that evokes the most heart-wrenching ballads of 90s emo serves as a perfect counterbalance to the record's sonic aggression, anchoring it to the humanity that makes up the record's spiritual center. Largely a vehicle for vocalist/guitarist and principle songwriter Justin Buschardt to exercise the emotional trauma of divorce, Serenity explores the universality of heartbreak against a backdrop of anthemic, guitar-driven tracks that would be as at home on the Jade Tree catalogue of the 90s as they are next to contemporary acts.