"Like most every other teen band, the Swell Maps started as a group of young school kids having fun with guitars, drums and a tape recorder. With some external inspiration (in their case, from the Sex Pistols and the Desperate Bicycles), they were eventually moved to release their own records. But what made the Swell Maps unique was their willingness to experiment. From the clashing riffs and rhythms of “Midget Submarines,” to the brash distortion of “Let’s Build A Car,” the Maps clearly were not a generic punk band. Though their better-known songs had sufficient hooks to be appreciated by the part-time punks of the day, their best songs are a provoking blend of British indie-pop and German prog-rock. Even from their earliest beginnings, guitarist/vocalist Nikki Sudden always described the group as a cross between T-Rex and Can." - M. Bastarache, 2006