Modern shoegaze done right

British alt-rockers Swervedriver have been around since the late 1980s, and as such, their sound has undergone a number of tweaks and evolutions throughout the years. In some sense, their latest release Future Ruins is the culmination of the road that brought them here. It expertly blends ambient shoe gaze sounds with modern rock influences in a way only savvy veterans such as Swervedriver could. In particular, the work of guitarists Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge is mostly exceptional. Despite a few occasional lulls, Future Ruins combines elements of shoegaze, grunge, indie rock and post-rock, and the result is a great album.

From the fuzzy, overdriven power chords of “Marywinter” to the melodic, catchy hook of “Spiked Flower,” Swervedriver’s guitarists prove more than capable of producing solid modern rock riffs. Listeners won’t find any virtuosic shredding here, but Franklin and Hartridge’s ability to write memorable riffs is the very heart and soul of this record. Additionally, they showcase their versatility on tracks like “The Lonely Crowd Fades Into The Air” and the title track, “Future Ruins.” These songs swap hard-hitting rock riffs for ambient, spacious playing. The former even combines these two styles within one song, opening on a lovely post-rock intro and cascading into a grungy, Foo Fighters-style rock riff during the verses.

Much shoegaze and post-rock-influenced music carries an inherently somber tonality, and Future Ruins is no exception. This tone is matched lyrically, as much of the album carries with it a sense of preemptive sadness and dread. One example is the title track, in which Franklin sings, “Flip the news / Reject the blues”—a concise but pointed statement of the band’s take on current events. This theme reappears throughout the album, most prominently on “Good Times Are Hard To Follow.” Franklin sings, “All your yesterdays shine, but the rain comes tomorrow.”

Future Ruins suffers a few lulls midway through, on tracks such as “Drone Lover” and “Golden Remedy,” which are fine songs but simply fail to distinguish themselves in any meaningful way. However, the album ends on a high note, as “Radio-Silent” is the best song on Future Ruins. It boasts an ambient, multilayered introduction accentuated by a tight bassline. More than any other, this song nails the post-rock sound that is, in some sense, the most logical and direct evolution of Swervedriver’s shoegaze roots.

This song could easily fit in among the ranks of Explosions in the Sky or This Will Destroy You. The way the song builds from a somber, droning guitar riff to this huge, sonically rich crescendo is masterful. Some of Mikey Jones’ best drumming on the album comes in its last few minutes, relying heavily on toms and cymbals during the build-up. The use of white noise in the background gives the song a sense of atmosphere. Eventually, it culminates with this beautiful wall of sound that engulfs you from every direction. It never reaches that huge, cathartic release that it feels like it might be moving towards, but it’s a beautiful and fitting end to a wonderful album.

Even after three decades, Swervedriver are still putting out quality music. Future Ruins is a solid release that will appeal to fans of shoegaze, indie and post-rock.