The Great Lost Swervedriver Album
G. Smith | Edmonds, WA USA | 09/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"They'd already mastered blazing sonics over Raise and Mezcal Head, so Swervedriver push into new pop turf (read: less shoegazery, though they always rocked much harder than the rest of that scene) on ESR with astounding success, only to be dropped by their US label just prior to release. Creation released it in Europe but didn't support it one measly whit. Some record store kid had an import stashed under the counter way back when, and for whatever reason saw fit to sell it to me.
Every Swervedriver record is some degree of awesome (well, maybe 99th Dream tops out at "great"), but ESR is the one that'll stand the test of time. They toss some T-Rex and Who into their melange, get more gnarly and direct on a few songs, and uncork a handful of true classics that still boggle the ears all these years later. "Last Day on Earth" and "The Birds" are both stunning combinations of sonic pleasure and chest-expanding emotion. Were I forced at gunpoint to pick one SWD CD, this'd be the one."