Swervedriver - Raise (1991)

For those that like a little crunch with their swirl. These four lads from Oxford kept it rockin' through the shoegaze era. Not content to lose themselves in the ethereal netherworld of fuzz, reverb, and dreaminess, they stuck to big guitar hooks force-fed through effects pedals. In a way, they were like Britain's answer to Dinoaur Jr. Twisting electric guitar leads, bashing cymbals, and slacker-voiced vocals. They even wrote songs about the all-American Mustang. Personal favorite, "Deep Seat", builds up from a simple bass riff to a woozy guitar jam. It isn't until a minute-and-a-half in that the vocals finally emerge from the swamp of thick guitars. The lyrics are really an afterthought with this band, and that's not to say that they're bad. It's more like they're irrelevant. Simply one more current in their swirling river of sound. When the singing has run its course, the band finishes off with another minute-and-a-half of searing wah-wah guitar fuckery. While the album can sound a bit same-y, the current interest in all things shoegaze makes these guys worth checking out. Especially if you're feeling nostalgic for the muscular rock of the early 90's.