Swain's First Bike Ride
from Bay Area punkers
Fifteen
is an early, unrefined, but highly spirited and listenable effort from the politically outspoken group. Fans familiar with the band won't find anything on this
Lookout Records
release that they wouldn't expect. The music is mid-tempo,
pop
-leaning
punk
that features reckless but catchy guitar riffs and half-shouted, off-key warbling courtesy of bandleader
Jeff Ott
. Surprisingly,
Ott
's message-driven lyrics about racism and abuse are delivered more skillfully on story-driven numbers like
"Someday,"
a track that makes a point without overstating things with every syllable. Other highlights include
"The End"
and
"Sweet Valentine."
might lack some of the songwriting polish that later
releases benefit from, but it is still a solid recording that's highly recommended to fans of leftist
. ~ Vincent Jeffries