SWEAR JAR

In so many ways, Cincinnati’s Swear Jar are my ideal punk band. Their music bears the marks of great bands such as The Minutemen, Jesus Lizard, Birthday Party, Nomeansno, Saccharine Trust, and Shellac, but the uncompromisingly dirty production reminds me mostly of the ultra-negative atonal meanderings of The Festival of Dead Deer. It’s a soup of agitation-uncomfortable nervousness and manic depression that’s, quite honestly, not easy to like, but for those of us who feel this way deep down in our souls, it’s a soothing acknowledgment that we’re not alone; somebody else out there gets it, and we don’t have to traipse out there quite as solitary as we thought. If you get later Black Flag and SST recordings, you’ll understand; otherwise, don’t bother.
—BIG TAKEOVER #68

Swear Jar is a band that does not want you to relax while you listen. With a sound reminiscent of Amphetamine Reptile’s noisiest and most abrasive work, Cuss is a thunderous, unapologetic assault on your senses. Rob Flexon (drums), James Burns, and Shane Chaney (all other instruments) are a combustible trio that exude intensity and play with the subtlety of a blunt object to the skull. The opening seconds of “Sasquatch” are gripping due to the sheer brutality of the screeching guitar that introduces the band to the world in some form of flesh-ripping birth. “On the Prowl’ and “Rastallica” are a majestic combination of tracks that tease the listener with hints of harmonious riffs before veering into the darker side of song construction. There is nothing compromising or soothing on this disc; it is a boiling, seething din that one either appreciates or will run from in terror. As a person who greatly enjoys music of this nature, Swear Jar is immensely refreshing. They must know that their target audience is small, but is certainly rabid and this disc is a tribute to those who do not want music to be conveniently labeled. Simultaneously minimalist yet complex, Swear Jar possesses an energy that is sorely lacking in the world of rock right now. The slash and burn approach to “Blinders” and “Cheating Death” are thoroughly intriguing and satisfying, while the pounding groove of “Heavy Corpse Song” makes it one of my favorites of the bunch. There are some fairly clear Fugazi moments here, but only due to the band’s stop-on-a-dime style and refusal to adhere to a traditional song structure. It is not easy, but then again, the best things in life usually require effort. Commit yourself to this and you will undoubtedly run back for more.
—JERSEY BEAT