Swiss Army Wife Release “Medium Gnarly” Album

Portland, Oregon’s Swiss Army Wife deliver particular take on emo that’s heavy on the math riffs, extremely gruff vocally, and fun as hell–might seem quaint in 2022/3, a time when most bands are finding ways to distance themselves as much as possible from the hallmarks of the genre. But the band’s debut full-length, Medium Gnarly, is refreshing in its back to basics approach, charming in a way that recalls the scrappy early work of now-iconic groups like You Blew It! or Free Throw. 

Their single Halloween is a perfect encapsulation of Swiss Army Wife‘s ethos, a two-minute rager at a breakneck pace stuffed with noodly riffs and hyper-specific, half-sarcastic lyricism. The record’s heavier moments, like closer Aight, I’mma Head Out and the first half of No More Drugs, lend the band some punk cred, while Your Bathroom and the latter waltzy coda of No More Drugs prove Swiss Army Wife‘s just as capable of slowing down the pace and still delivering the goods. It comes together as a twenty-minute sugar rush, a debut album that’ll impress fans of the emo revivalists and more contemporary acts. Medium Gnarly, that is now available via Really Rad Records, is a record that just needs to find its way to the right ears.