Serenity

Brooklyn based indie/post-hardcore troupe Sharkswimmer will unleash their gripping debut LP "Serenity" on October 3rd, 2023 via Really Rad Records. The band collaborated with long-time Drug Church & Soul Blind Producer Jon Markson to deliver their biting debut record, calling forth the aggressive melodicism of 90s post-hardcore greats like Planes Mistaken For Stars, the hook-heavy punch of 2010s alt-rock acts such as Basement, and the gritty emotional vulnerability of contemporaries like Fiddlehead for a stunning full-length effort that is dripping with personality. With songs featuring Geoff Rickly (Thursday, No Devotion) and Vinnie Caruana (The Movielife, I Am the Avalanche), this album is sure to appeal to fans of their respective scenes.

Written over several months and recorded with producer/engineer Jon Markson (Drug Church, Koyo, Soul Blind), 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 such as Drug Church or Militarie Gun. With a healthy portion of pathos and pop hooks, Serenity is an immediately arresting affair that secures the band’s status as well-deserving heirs to the alt-rock throne.

RIYL: Militarie Gun, Drug Church, Fiddlehead, Casket Lottery, Cloud Nothings, Planes Misaken for Stars