Review: The Swell Fellas ‘Residuum Unknown’
A strange forty seconds of noise begins the album, leading into the sombre beginning that is Chore to Bathe, almost seven minutes of music that evolves into extensive riff heavy jams, with a dark, refreshing sound that will have you riding a wave of intense meditation into soaring musical crescendos.

It’s quite simply a stunning opening track from Conner (guitar, vocals)and Chris Poole (drums, vocals) along with Mark Rohrer (bass, vocals), who has decided to exit the band, leaving the brothers with the tough decision to call it quits. After my initial first few listens of the latest, and sadly final album from The Swell Fellas, I have this overwhelming pleasure of hearing the bass high up in the mix.
It gives your eardrums a solid and relentless pounding throughout, which I absolutely love, but if you don’t, then, tough luck really, as there’s simply no avoiding it. Considering that Connor and Chris had to beg their long-time guitar-playing friend Rohrer to buy bass gear in the first place, it has certainly paid dividends on this album, as it completely dominates, especially on Pawns Parade.
The riff from Connor that emanates throughout The Drain is one that I can’t get out of my head, as it reaches parts of your soul that you never thought possible. It takes you up and down, like floating on a little fluffy cloud, with the trio asking the listener to join them on a journey through the ebbs and flows of their personal life and exploring a more ethereal sound.
the band behind with one hell of an album for us to enjoy, and wherever they appear next, this will be a tough one to follow…
I’ve already mentioned the bass heavy Pawns Parade, but it’s so damn good, that I’m bringing it back again, as it’s a sensual overload and the defining track for me of a trio who have distilled their personal chemistry into something greater than the sum of its parts.
But throughout Residuum Unknown you get lots of contrasts, with the melancholy opening to Gateway Grind being soft and gentle but also thought-provoking with the haunting voices and interesting drum sound from Chris, feeling like a call to arms, or an unburdening of their soul, and it’s rounded off with the atmospheric chimes of a clock.
The huge bass sound returns with great aplomb on the penultimate track Give Roses. The eight-minute song expands with more wailing lead guitars and dynamic instrumental effects before four hits of the hi-hat signal the beginning of the final track Next Dawn, another explosive number that leaves you wanting more and more, but it ends almost forty-five minutes of music that is a joy from start to finish.
The trio from Ocean City, Maryland, who now reside in Nashville, Tennessee, are leaving the band behind with one hell of an album for us to enjoy, and wherever they appear next, this will be a tough one to follow.
Label: Independent
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams