By Larry Nager
The Cincinnati Enquirer

With songs about faith delivered in radio-friendly hard-rock settings, it would be easy to dismiss Tristate band July for Kings as another Creed wannabe. But listen closer. The quintet, better known around here by its former name, Swim, doesn't offer the same pat answers in oversimplified arrangements.

"I wanna believe in something," sings Joe Hedges in the opening song of July for Kings' 12-song debut, in stores Tuesday. The singer who writes the lyrics doesn't have all the answers. So, unlike the messianic stance of Creed's Scott Stapp, he comes off as a regular Joe.

Faith gets tested

The disc opens with the line "The day God closed her eyes, my mother said she felt 20 angels." Mr. Hedges' shaky beliefs are tested by her death. "When I close my eyes, will they come for me?" he wonders.

Swim is filled with that sort of passionate yearning. In "Normal Life," the first single, it's the desire for the kind of peacefully idyllic marriage that's hard to find outside of '60s sitcoms.

"Girlfriend" is about being in an airport hotel with life on hold. "Bring me my girlfriend and a bottle of wine, bring me a future, just make sure it's mine ... Could you make a phone call to Jesus to clean up my soul?"

The band's whisper-to-a-scream approach, with quiet verses leading to cathartic choruses, sounds a bit formulaic at times. But Mr. Hedges and the band - guitarist Travis Delaney, guitarist/cellist T.J. Miller, bassist Jason Morgan and drummer Sam Dobrozsi - never sound as though they're just going through the motions.

A broad range

"New Black Car" is the disc's most memorable blend of pop melody and driving rock, sung to an ex-girlfriend who's gone on to, well, better cars anyway.

The band's broad range is best heard in two songs: the full-metal "Start Again" and the acoustic ballad "Meteor Flower." The latter showcases Mr. Miller's cello, which brings a different sound to the group. It's a lot of ground to cover, but July for Kings covers it very well. Swim shows that these guys have the goods to make it on the national scene.

Despite the new name, July for Kings hasn't forgotten its roots. The CD booklet reproduces a 2-year-old poster for a Swim CD release party at the Mad Frog.

At 6 p.m. Monday, July for Kings hosts a pre-release party for Swim at CD World, 10226 Colerain Ave., Bevis; 923-1223.

E-mail lnager@enquirer.com