Let’s address the big-eared pachyderm in the room straight away. It shouldn’t have taken Oxford shoegaze heroes Swervedriver 17 years to make a new album. Yes, during those nearly two decades they were faced with a lukewarm reception to 1998’s divisive 99th Dream; had various label woes; and went on sabbatical. But they also returned in 2008 and have been gigging ever since. So, is the much clamoured-for I Wasn’t Born To Lose You worth the wait? Sort of.
While it’s not a million miles away from 99th Dream sonically speaking, the edges have been sanded off here, making it a noticeably softer record than the likes of Mezcal Head. Album opener ‘Autodidact’, a hazy, distorted number full of chiming guitar harmonies and Grant-Hart-from-Husker-Du-esque vocals, sets the scene. Only ‘Red Queen Arms Race’ really deviates from the blueprint. Driven by a fat bass sound and a riff that Josh Homme must wish he could still write, it’s the undeniable highlight. The rest of the ten-track opus is solid shoegaze fare that many long-time Swervedriver fans will like, but won’t win over many newbies...

Key Track - 'Red Queen Arms Race'