very good, but not great by swervie standards
4
By fetchmybeer
4 stars out of 5 because it feels like there is some filler on this one. The three pre-release singles-- Mary Winter, Drone Lover, and The Lonely Crowd Fades In The Air are the singles and are all great songs. Good Times Are So Hard To Follow and Spiked Flower are also standouts and could've just as easily been released ahead of the album. The title track and Theeascending fall into that next category of good songs that don't really stand out, though I think Theeascending will probably be pretty solid in live performances. Everybody's Going Somewhere, Golden Remedy, and Radio Silent all feel like jam sessions or b-side ideas that made it onto the album. They're all lush, psychedlic pieces that tend to transport the listener, but don't wander into any new or particularly interesting territory. As always, I'm really happy to have any new material from a band that didn't have much of it for nearly two decades. And "very good" by Swervedriver standards still puts 99.9% of the music out there to shame, but this feels a bit more like a solo endeavor by Adam at times. I loved his solo work as well, but expect different things from Swervedriver. Whereas 2015's I Was Born To Lose You was a stunning return to form on par with their best (Mezcal Head), Future Ruins feels a bit more 99th Dream. And yet this album, much like 99th Dream, has been played by me virtually nonstop since the early release on Christmas Day to the pledgers. If you're a Swervedriver fan like me, you will be happy you got this.
