Customer Reviews

Swim

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album blows me away. It truly rocks! July For Kings cover a wide range of original material with catchy melodies and hooks. What sets this group and album apart from most other stuff released nowadays is the fantastic songwriting of Joe Hedges, the lead singer, and the great arrangements of the songs by July For Kings.

The album's first single "Normal Life" is the perfect air guitar rock singalong song and should do well on Top 40 radio. (The SWIM CD also includes a B&W video of JFK recording "Normal Life" which is really cool.) The album flows with good medium tempo rock songs like "Girlfriend", "Champagne", "Without Wings", and the very stylish "New Black Car". They also kick it up a notch with the hard-rocking songs "Start Again", "Bed of Ashes", "Anything But Beautiful", and "Believe". And there are softer songs like "Meteor Flower", "And Gomorra", and "Washed Away" that are simply beautiful.

This is one of the best rock albums I've heard in quite awhile. I can fully recommend this as one you'll truly enjoy and play again and again. I know I have! :)

While a few of the songs on this cd are forgettable, July For Kings has fashioned quite an impressive disc, complete with heavy crashing guitars but also soft and flowing melodies. If there's anything to be said about July For Kings, it's that they don't get the credit they deserve. Bluntly, their songwriting is very good. They sound very similar at times to bands such as Stone Temple Pilots and heavy Matchbox 20 stuff, and to a lesser degree, Everclear, Alice in Chains and (regrettably) Creed. That being said, had this album been released in the hey-day of the mid-90s "grunge" era, these guys would undoubtedly be internationally known. But, as it is, they keep a relatively low-key profile by touring heavily in small bars and clubs. They put on a great show if you ever get a chance to see them.

I tracked down this CD after hearing "Normal Life" on the radio.. and I'm glad I took the chance and bought the CD. I feel the music is very soulful and positive. Makes me feel good and sing out loud no matter what mood I started out in!
I hope these guys keep making music!!!

Let me preface this review by saying, despite what any 5 star reviews say, this is not THE BEST cd ever. Now that that's out of the way, I will say that if you are tired of gimmicks and bands who put out one good song, July For Kings debut "Swim" will certaintly satisfy you. Nearly every song is well constructed and melodic rock and roll.
I bought this cd after hearing the song "Normal Life" on [on a website] and bought it on a whim due to it's tantalizing [$$$] price tag. After tossing in my shiny new disc, and trying to get through all the tracks, you would have heard a loud groan emitting from my mouth. It seemed every track was the same, and the only two worth listening to were tracks # 2 and 3.
As fate would have it, for whatever reason, I kept listening to the CD, probably to justify my paying $10 for it. Lo and behold, the disc kept growing on me with every listen. I would recomend to give this CD a couple listens before passing judgment on it, due to my experience.
I would still rank my favorite two tracks as #2 and #3, Beleive and Normal Life, respectively. However new addictions include the tracks "Girlfriend" "Champagne" "New Black Car" "Meteor Flower" and a song that should be under consideration for a future radio single, the closer, "Washed Away."
In conclusion, if you are a fan of rock music, and are sick of buying an entire CD, like, let's say, Puddle of Muddle, for the three good songs it contains, then pick this up to find a good collection of rock tracks. At [$$$], that's only [$$$] more than what it would cost for you to buy a blank cd and copy all the tracks down! But you wouldn't be supporting a good band and you wouldn't have a good-looking booklet to accompany your cd.

What touched me the most about this CD is that the song lyrics are down to earth. I like that because many bands today have gotten away from the little things in life that make life so worth living. The songs are uplifting and easy to relate to.

This is a great CD, not just the lyrics but the music is great. A mixture of many different types of songs which show the talent of this band. I would recommend this CD is most anyone. It is a turn up the radio with the windows down in the car CD.

I had heard of this band from my sister and decided to give it a whirl. I bought it after hearing the band play an acoustic set at the cd store. I got home and listened to the cd. It is filled with great songs with very personal messages. One thing I really like about this cd is the fact that there is no abrasive lyrics or vulgar ideas. I mentioned the fact that the songs are personal. The songs themselves are very personal to the guys in the band and yet they find a way to fit into most people's everyday life. I am not sure how to describe the music its self since there is a little bit of pop mixed in with the rock spirit. This cd is awesome. Although I agree they are much better live. As I sit here and write this I can't help but sing the words to the songs. The July for Kings group has a style and lyrics that not only can teens and college studens listen to but that parents, grandparents, and children a like will enjoy. There are not many groups out there like that now a days but this is one of them. I have met the band and they are a fantastic group of people who really care about their music and thier fans. So overall I find the group as well as the cd as amazing. Whether you agree with me or not doesn't matter to me but you can't knock it until you give it a chance. I am glad I did.

Wow. Listening to this album makes me feel twenty again, which is saying something since I'll be fifty next year. The only rock album I've heard since the early 70's that I listen to every song. High energy rock, intelligent lyrics, good acoustical work with distinctive, powerful and memorable lead vocals. As good, maybe better than, the Grand Funk red album which is the best rock album I've ever heard.

I've only known about July For Kings for a month or two, but I am absolutely amazed by their talent! When I was told they resembled other bands such as Matchbox 20 and Fuel, that was the time I got interested in them and downloaded a song, entitled 'Normal Life', off of their album Swim. Of course I went 'download happy' and got every song by them I could find, and am enjoying every one of them quite nicely.

I highly recommend this band to anyone who likes the music produced by Matchbox 20, Shinedown, Fuel, Vonray, Stereofuse, Greenwheel...or anyone that's just plain looking for new music to fall in love with! This is definitely one of those albums that won't dissapoint you. Go buy it today! And if you like it, come to the official July For Kings website and sign up on the message board and give the band and its supporters the lowdown on what ya think! For all those fans out there: keep on giving JFK your undying support!! I know I am, even though I'm all the way down south! :)

Had never heard of this band before and read others reviews....bought it on a whim and I love it. 'Meteor Flower' has to be one of my favorite songs on the album. Very much like Matchbox Twenty...if you like them then you'll love July For Kings. Take a risk like I did, you won't regret it!

Great CD. I heard Normal Life on the internet and instantly loved it. The album can easily be listened to from start to finish. I particularly liked Start Again because of the harder edge but Girlfriend, Without Wings and... well I guess the rest of the songs on the album...have great catchy tunes. I really like this band and think they could go far if they could get some airplay. I have requested Normal Life several times here in the San Diego area and have yet to hear it on the radio. Too bad because this album is too good to just disappear.