Swervedriver
99th Dream
Zero Hour
After Swervedriver’s last CD, Ejector Seat Reservation, I knew things were either going way up or way down for these British boys. Ejector Seat… was as uneven and sketchy as previous releases, Mezcal Head and Raise, were provocative and eloquent. The question in my mind was this. Are these guys going to a.) try to follow in the steps of commercial success, a la Oasis or b.) stick to being the Swervedriver we all know and love? It is good to see the Swervedriver we all know and love alive on 99th Dream. This one comes out with a surf style guitar into to the title track. This and the next track are both mid-tempo rock songs, followed by Swervedriver’s mellow side coming out on “She Weaves A Tender Trap.” The little touches of Liverpudlian harmony make this song and others like it all the more worthwhile. The CD mixes the tempos up with equal parts “Brit” to “rock,” blending into a nice mix (a melange, if you will) of almighty Brit-rock. There are also the patented spacy, tripped out instrumental interludes that we have come to love from Swervedriver, though most of us would loathe them from any other band. As for the band themselves, changes have occurred. Rumour has it that these boys will be taking high tea on foreign soil now, it seems a move to New York has taken place recently. This bodes well for those of us who couldn’t see them live for years, nor get a copy of import-only CD’s they released in the UK. Cheerier climes may well even lift them farther into the stratosphere than they are, if this is possible. Also, after numerous problems with labels in America, they seem to have settled on Zero Hour. From all I have heard about this label, it is a good choice, but time will tell. For now, take a little joy from this cracker jack release from these Brits out exploring the New World. Zero Hour Records, 14 West 23rd Street, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10010
