With shoegaze enjoying something of a revival in recent years, many long-standing champions of the genre have upped their activity. Swervedriver were often on the heavier end of the spectrum, and whilst they haven’t always been the most prolific in terms of number of album releases (an extended pause following their breakup in 1998 didn’t help), they did return successfully in 2015 with ‘I Wasn’t Born to Lose You’.

‘Future Ruins’ largely continues on from its predecessor, delivering a strong record with many of the elements sure to keep fans of the band happy. The album kicks off of with one of the finest tracks here, the brilliant ‘Mary Winter’.  The strong riff and atmospheric melodies are demonstrative of a band in great form, writing music that will tune in directly to their fan base. ‘The Lonely Crowd Fades in the Air’ offers more of that energy before the title track takes the album in a slower and equally enjoyable direction.

Things pick up with ‘Drone Lover’, which oozes pop-laden brilliance, whilst ‘Spiked Flower’ joyfully propels the album forwards before the record eventually lulls a bit with ‘Everybody’s Going Somewhere & No-One’s Going Anywhere’ and ‘Golden Remedy’. Whilst the former particularly may be a bit hard to get into for the casual listener, these two tracks do add some extra layers to the album. The recovery is quick, however, and in style with ‘Good Times Are Hard to Follow’ before the lengthy otherworldliness of ‘Radio-Silent’ takes us to a dreamy end.

‘Future Ruins’ is a strong album and fans of the band will surely be instantly drawn to its infectious hooks and harmonies. And after 4 years since their previous release, the freshness will certainly be welcomed.

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