The Great Explainer and fellow New Jerseyens Chunksaah Records have teamed up to release the band's debut EP, The Way Things Swell. With Bouncing Souls' Pete Steinkopf turning the knobs and production duties, The Great Explainer have crafted five compelling cuts of dual vocal post-hardcore. I'd say somewhere between the driving and lung crushing punk of early Hot Water Music and the nimble riffing of Nines and Six/Record Play era Mock Orange, The Way Things Swell stands and stands as an unstoppable force.

It's a similar trajectory to Polar Bear Club's 2005 demo, but with a more realized and focused dynamic. Take the opener "Quotas" and closer "Michael Jordan 666", rather than a forced anthem, the group sing alongs are a natural progression to the respective song. With "Codeine... Bourbon", the gruff/clean juxtaposition of co-guitarists Sean and Matt's* vocals offer a melodic competence and urgency that is destined to give their contemporaries a run for their money. And that's of crucial importance: With the rising popularity of emotional, '90s throwbacks, The Great Explainer contribute a stellar debut with a level of freshness that, these days, is few and far between. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.