The first-ever career overview from the stalwart Bay Area punk revivalists,
Drowning in the Sea, Rising with the Sun covers every phase of Swingin Utters' first three decades, delivering a meaty 30-plus-song set that pairs fan favorites and live staples with deep cuts. Feisty, fiery, and forged in the crucible of snarly, melody-driven punk emissions from
the Clash,
Social Distortion,
Bad Religion, and
Buzzcocks, the Utters' have been raising hell since the late '80s, and despite a seven-year break at the turn of the century -- lead singer Johnny Bonnel is the group's sole founding member -- they've managed to remain close to the forefront of the West coast punk scene via late-period gems like
Here, Under Protest (2011),
Poorly Formed (2013), and
Fistful of Hollow (2014). The generously stocked collection provides a solid entry point for newbies, and a blisteringly paced -- only a band mindful of punk rock brevity could stock a single-disc retrospective with 33 tracks -- trip down memory lane for longtime fans. Whether you're a Warped Tour junkie or an old-school pit-kicker, it's hard not to pump your mitts to bona fide crowd pleasers like "Five Lessons Learned," "Pills & Smoke," "Stupid Lullabies," and "Next in Line." ~ James Christopher Monger