Swearin' The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto ON, June 20

Photo: Shane Parent
Published Jun 21, 2014
Swearin's rise was quick and deserved. After cutting her teeth in PS Eliot with her sister Katie, Allison Crutchfield wasted no time hammering out two rock solid albums worth of punk-y early '90s indie rock. The quartet similarly wasted no time during their set, knocking out tracks from those records at a quick clip. Selections from their rapid-fire debut were slowed slightly but given a heavier bottom end. Singer-guitarist Kyle Gilbride resembled a young Mike Mills as he traded vocals with Crutchfield, who oozed a natural onstage charisma. This shone through on the band's slower numbers on which her voice took centre stage from the band's screeching guitars. Swearin's set was relatively no-nonsense, like their music, and an easy highlight of the night.