Bolts of Melody

Adam Franklin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hi-Speed Soul
• ASIN: B000QUU54K
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,139 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #69 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Shoegazing

Editorial Reviews

The Debut solo album from singer/guitarist of 90's UK shoegaze legends Swervedriver. Amazing record rooted in folky Elliott Smith-esque songwriting, Swervedriver-esque swirling guitars, & 60's influenced psych rock. A perfect collection of songs by one of today's most underrated guitarists and songwriters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars if you like Swervedriver..., October 21, 2007

By 

Joseph Broze (chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bolts of Melody (Audio CD)

...then you'll like this CD. Certainly the songs are not as driving as Last Train to Satansville or Son of Mustang Ford. To me, this sounds like some of the songs off Ejector Seat Reservation or 99th Dream. In short, it is fantastic.

I recently saw him play at the Empty Bottle in Chicago and he was AWESOME. It didn't matter that he didn't play 'Driver songs - his newer material was great. This CD is much closer to the classics of his old band, much more so than the Mark Gardener "ghosts" CD (which was great in its own right).

If you were into Swervedriver, feel confident that you will not be disappointed in purchasing this CD. If you've never heard them, this album is full of psychadelic, shoegaze-influenced, sometimes acoustic, melodic indie rock. Not fast or disco-beat utilizing like alot of stuff now. More standard rock beats.

Overall...this is AWESOME. Pitchfork gave this a 5.8 out of 10 - but then again, they are the same retards that think Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is a gift to modern music.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle, grown up Swervedriver, July 23, 2007

By 

Andrew Otwell "heyotwell" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bolts of Melody (Audio CD)

Nice stuff. Big, warm, gentle songs, with tons of great guitar sounds. There's plenty here to please the Swervedriver fan: "Seize the Day" and "Shining Somewhere" sound a lot like some of Franklin's old band's work. There's a lot of Toshack Highway here as well, though. "Song of Solomon" and "Theme from LSD" have the same electrocoustic sounds Franklin's been using the last few years in that project, and "Walking in Heaven's Foothills" uses a spoken haunted-astronaut radio transmission very much like Toshack's "Just Landed."

I really enjoy the two or three songs that are more straightforward than most of Franklin's older material: on "Canvey Island Baby", more restrained guitar playing than usual and just a few psychedelic touches make the song really immediate and lovely.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great comeback for one of the 90's most under rated UK artists, February 14, 2008

By 

J. Melendreras (Mississauga, ON CANADA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bolts of Melody (Audio CD)

No, I'm not talking about the Gallager brothers or the Spice Girls. Artists on their own merit? Yes. But when it comes to thoughtful songwriting and complex musicianship, none compare to the legendary Adam Franklin. Being a die hard Swervedriver fan, you could say I'm biased towards Mr. Franklin's musical endeavors, but Bolts of Melody really strikes a chord! With its diverse approach to songwriting and eclectic mix of grassroot (Birdsong Moonshiner Version), dream pop (ramonesland), atmospheric (Rain returns) and more edgier, swervedriver reminiscent guitar playing (Seize the day/Shinning somewhere), Bolts of Melody is a great all around rock album. Bolts of Melody is gem of a record with lots of the great lyrical content and impeccable guitar playing; the sum of what we have come to expect from Adam Franklin.

If you get a chance to see this icon live, please do yourself a favour and do it. His guitar playing is unique! That maj. C chord in Ramonesland is eternal.