fm_hunter's Full Review: Mezcal Head by Swervedriver
I have always been fascinated with any music that falls into the "shoegazer" genre of music. Actually more of a sub-genre, "shoegazer" was an offshoot of British indie/alternative rock named such to describe the way the bands played their music. Standing motionless and staring at the floor, or, of course, quite literally gazing at their shoes. Bands that belonged to this movement played loud with overpowering guitars that often drowned out the vocals. Over emphasized feedback and long winded droning guitar sequences that would go on for several minutes was a very common occurrence for "Shoegazers", which included bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Catherine Wheel, and Lush.
As much as I love every band previously listed, none of their releases qualify as my favorite shoegazing release, although MBV's "Loveless" is a very close second. "Mezcal Head" by Swervedriver is one of my favorite albums and will easily make my top ten desert islands picks when I get around to tackling that issue. I've actually begun to write a review for my top 10 picks on several occasions, only to keep changing the list as I remember discs that I couldn't possibly leave off the list (remember the music interview in the novel, "High Fidelity"?)
"Mezcal Head" isn't all shoegazing, however. The music doesn't maintain that overwhelming fury of sound at all times on this album, or at least not as often as most shoegazing releases. The music is a fascinating mix of the lush, wall of sound attack of guitars with a small, yet substantial bit of post punk psychedelia.
Another element that strays from the usual shoegazing style is that you can hear and understand the vocals sung by Adam Franklin. His vocal delivery comes across as a dreamy contradiction to the fuzzy wail of guitars that he and Jimmy Hartsridge belt out. Bassist Adrian Vines does more than just plink away at an accompanying rhythm, instead hammering out frequent bass runs that compliment the distorted lead and rhythm guitar work. On the drum is Jez (yes, that's his name, seems he only has one!), and he does more than an adequate job keeping the percussion as intense as the rest of the instruments.
The CD opens with slow building song, "For Seeking Heat". Requiring almost 30 seconds before you can hear the faint whine of feedback, the song quickly explodes with a barrage of drumming and distorted riffs. This track shows Swervedriver a little faster and slightly more energetic than you'll find as the CD wears on. It does wind down to a nice lull for the last minute or so, with ambient sounds of sirens howling in the background.
The second song, "Blowin' Cool" begins with a cadenced delivery of guitar riffs interspersed among Franklin's vocals, while periodically giving way to explosive sequences of guitar bursts. Just as the cacophony begins to swirl, the slow tempo of rhythm guitar once again takes over, and begins to build up once again. Swervedriver uses the technique of quiet/loud/quiet interludes as well as any band I have heard. This progression is very reminiscent of another sub-genre of music I adore, "emo-rock".
In fact, I feel Swervedriver's sound can best be described as a combination of shoegazing and emo. Present are both the sonic outbursts of intense guitar dirges and the quieter, introspective episodes of subtle musical arrangements that juxtapose the prior eruptions of sound. This process of alternating styles works to create a compelling style of music, as well as long and winding compositions that spark an emotional coil within the listener.
There are several standout tracks on this accomplished CD, like track 5, "Last Train to Satansville". Backed by a rhythm of guitar and drums that create that sort of train "chucka chucka chucka" sound, the song speeds along with the power of a 50-ton locomotive. Not speeding in the sense of tempo, but more in the sensation of musical intensity. This song also displays the band's knack at writing a compelling set of lyrics that portray a story;
"You look like you've been losing sleep," said the stranger on the train.
I fixed him with an ice-cold stare and said, "I've been having those dreams again."
"In one dream there's this girl I love and we dance every waking breath
and in the other they've thrown me in a cell and their trying me for her death.
I'm only young and young in love as I hold that girl today,
But I'm old and tired in the cell and I've nigh-on withered away."
"You see my babe has gone away too long and I'm choking back the tears,
disheveled stars in a burnt-out bar and I'm talking in my drink.
She promised me the world and more, how could she do this to me?
And now mine's tumbling down around, but at last my eye's can see,
And those stars in the sky are for me!"
So as this fagged-out tinseltown waves so long to the sun,
I lay here calmly on my bed and the trigger of my gun.
And should that no-good woman show up dancing from a dream,
I'll squeeze it tight and not think twice and relish every scream.
Track 8, "Duress" is a beauty of a slow moving sonic dirge that drags on and on. Perhaps 'dragging' conjures up negative imagery for you, but to me I love it when a song enters that hypnotic state that induces an auditory trance like condition in the listener. It's almost as if a numbness overcomes you as you listen to the measured meandering of this song, with it's heavily laden use of subdued, distorted guitar ripe with heavy doses of feed back. Franklins's vocals meander just as the music does, keeping time with the haunting melodies.
The last track, and perhaps the most gripping song on "Mezcal Head" is the twelve-minute, two part requiem, "Never Lose that Feeling/Never Learn". The first four minutes exhibit a forceful and familiar array of bass and guitar riffs, complemented by some speedy and precise drumming. At just over the four-minute mark, the song takes a deliberate U-turn and the tempo slows to about a quarter of the beginning pace. For the next eight minutes, the song roams effortlessly through sonic landscapes populated by droning bass lines, fuzzy onslaughts of peddle altered guitar riffs, and expertly meshed with beautiful saxophone progressions. I love to really lose myself in the lush sounds this song offers, it quite reminds me of something the Cure put out quite awhile back titled "Carnage Visors".
This Swervedriver release is a must have for anyone who loves their music deeply layered whilst containing episodes of loud, fuzzy guitar attacks that drone on throughout each song. Not always loud and in your face, but always creating a swirling effect of ordered chaos that is masked as noise. And rarely have I heard noise that is quite so beautiful indeed!
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