The Swellers decision to sign to Fueled By Ramen Records was very confusing to say the least. Many were expecting them to sign to a bigger label after gaining some exposure with My Everest and touring constantly in support of it, but no one saw this move coming. Who would have thought that The Swellers would become labelmates with The Academy Is and Gym Class Heroes? Label issues aside, Ups and Downsizing was recorded prior to the band signing to FBR and they worked with the same producer that they did for My Everest. So those worrying about the band going completely soft or completely losing their edge will be gladly relieved. Ups and Downsizing does lack some of the raw energy that My Everest had but The Swellers definitely haven't lost their touch at all.
The main difference between this album and My Everest is that the overall sound is a lot more polished and the guitars come in a lot louder. The tone sounds marvelous but the bad thing is that it drowns out the bass on a few songs. Another change is that the guitar work is a lot more straightforward and there's a lot less shredding. Most of the guitar work on Ups and Downsizing seems to be focused on making driving verses and endless hooks rather than showcasing the band's technical skills. Don't worry, there are still solos, but they're slower and more structured, and there are plenty of great leads ("Welcome Back Riders") to keep you happy.
One very noticeable improvement is the vocals of Nick Diener. He's always had a good voice for this style of punk but there are a few criticisms of him sounding too whiny on My Everest. These criticisms will dissolve now as his voice sounds a lot stronger and his singing is a lot cleaner on Ups and Downsizing. This is evident on the track "Fire Away" where he really stretches his vocal chords during the verses. It is fully showcased on the mostly acoustic driven ballad "Stars," where he lets out an emotional yell of "This one's for you!" to help close out the song on a huge note.
As for tempo of songs, Ups and Downsizing seems to be split even. There are a lot of catchy, mid-tempo numbers like "Do You Feel Better Yet?" and the aforementioned "Fire Away." However, there are still a good amount of fast-paced driving punk songs that keep things going at a nice pace. The opener, "2009" is a great anthem to start the record on a high note with it's catchy chorus and quick verses, "The Iron" carries a melodic hardcore vibe to it, and tracks like "Dirt" and "Watch It Go" sound very similar to My Everest only with improved production.
So, in general, the move to FBR didn't dramatically effect The Swellers sound. Ups and Downsizing is The Swellers doing what they do best while throwing in a few minor changes to keep things interesting. Needless to say, this is one of the very few releases to come from FBR that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Hopefully, The Swellers can gain some new fans while being on a bigger label. They've earned it for sure.
