Swervedriver Mezcal Head

Swervedriver was the most rocking band to emerge from Britain’s early-‘90s shoegazing scene. While bands like Slowdive, Chapterhouse and Lush specialized in blissed-out guitar-pop, Swervedriver played louder and sang about muscle cars, cowboys and Satan, all the while retaining the genre’s infectiously wistful melodies. 1993’s Mezcal Head obliterated any possibility of a sophomore slump, especially by the fifth song “Last Train to Satansville” which successfully fused a country-rock narrative on galloping rhythms with their trademark jet-engine sounding guitar blast. Throughout singer Adam Franklin croons with an effortless cool — he balances the brawn of the punchy opener “For Seeking Heat” with naturally aloof inflections. The catchy “Duel,” an instant college radio hit, ignites with propulsive guitars, a sing-along chorus and an unforgettable bridge built with ascending riffs and barbed, melodic hooks. The mid-tempo “MM Abduction” is another standout that borrows howling guitars from Ride’s Nowhere, but the 12-minute “Never Lose That Feeling” is the album’s epic, boasting a Krautrock-inspired sax solo.