Kapital Ink Magazine

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) More unsung heroes, dept: seriously, in light of Anton et al., these clock-o-phonic hard-hitters sound more relevant than ever. Overt British-ness that ties together everything from sixties Kinks/Pretty Things/Deviants booze-geezers to eighties (and nineties) Ride/Echo/Swervedriver phase-gazers (hence the name Reverb… since most of this stuff was recorded in the mid-nineties, they caught the tail end of the one-word band syndrome so popular in England at the time: Lush, Ride, Adorable – all of whom they fit in with quite well). Produced by Will Sargent, which is the final passing-of-the-baton factor y’ needed to assess their proper-and long overdue-place in history (or get down n’ worship). Best reissue of the year (possibly ever). —Joe S. Harrington (April 2006)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) Swirl provides one-stop shopping for the entire ouvre (one album, several singles and one-offs) of the mid-nineties pop-psychedelia — Brit-style — of Reverb. More or less lost in a Blur of Britpop ascendant and the lingering demise of grunge, Reverb are undeservedly little known purveyors of a blend of post-punk angles and the most accessible form of guitar-based ear candy: this is over the top swirl-pop. The record kicks off with "Pedal," which has all the sweet delicacy of the Magnetic Fields, incarnated as rockers rather than aesthete poppers. As to more appropriate landmarks, it is impossible to miss the cocksure vernal enthusiasm of Adorable ("Velocity Fall" and "Swirl"), the ornamented, chiming guitar rock of the Bunnymen ("Melting Into You"), and the adolescent punk muscle of the early Undertones ("Sensory Overload") that make this a retrospective of special merit. In other words, Reverb draw on a wealth of stellar influences in crafting a unique blend of style that is at once nostalgic and, given the current scene fascination with the early eighties, completely up to date. Following a too-brief career, the core of Reverb went on to mold the spacey, ethereal post-rock of The Land of Nod. —Michael Meade (August 2005)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) Somewhere along the way, in the mid 1990's, we all got a bit lost. Most all of us, except the blokes who made up the band Reverb, John Peel, and Will Sergeant. During the years when Spiritualized were honing their psychedelic craft and turning from Velvet Underground droning towards a less dark, more drug-induced sonic haze, the UK three piece Reverb was making the same sort of brilliant pop that fit somewhere in the nooks and crannies between contemporaries like Oasis, Ride, and Luna. Their music was at once lush and vibrant swirls of guitar-drenched sound and pop sensible drumming; the kind that drew its influence from earlier Britpop acts like Echo And The Bunnymen or Happy Mondays. Collected here for the first time on one disc are the complete (?) recordings of this nearly lost band. The poppy brilliance of "Metamorphosis" is a telling sign of the genius that was short lived in the two-year career of the band. Honing the thick pop set forth by progenitors such as Gang Of Four and The Wedding Present, Reverb crafted their songs on groovy and memorable basslines, tight drumming, and alternately swirling and jangling guitars. Ant Walker's vocals fit nicely with the era of Manchester's burgeoning musical re-awakening, and his guitar playing was the icing on the cake. The rhythm section made up of Dave Battersby and a cascading line of drummers was the lifeblood and heartbeat of the new post-new wave British rock movement. From the first single "Pedal", with its wash of guitars and strident ride cymbal to the last gasp of throaty growl and heavy tremolo of "Cut", Swirl is filled with glorious formative moments that had effect on all the bands at the time. So, whether you have ever heard of Reverb prior to this or not is somewhat moot. The fact is, this collection is a missing link in a musical chain that has so many small overlooked links that formed vital pieces in the progression of the new Britpop. Fans of Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, Charlatans UK, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Oasis, Spiritualized, Luna, etc. stand up and take notice… this is your wakeup call. —Embo Blake (August 2005)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) Prima di ritrovarsi in Land Of Nod Ant Walker e Dave Battersby condividevano la militanza in Reverb, grande cult band psych/pop dei novanta. Dopo aver seguito la clasica trafila di singoli, dal fumigante 7" Pedal/Swirl, tra saturazioni post-shoegazing col tempo praticamente dissoltesi e sontuosi riferimenti alla Liverpool di Bunnymen e Teardrops invece mai estintisi, publicato alla fine del '94, sino a Mesmorized dell'estate del '96, passando per Melting Into You, talmente persuasivo da scalare le indie charts fino al quinto posto, ed il travolgente Velocity Fall, dall'impeto ronzante alla Jesus & Mary Chain, arrivita all'album di debutto, la formazione di Cheltenham, malgrado la buona fama conquistata, probabilmente d'accordo con la Ochre decise di consegnasi al culto visto che "Time-Lapse" uscí nell'aprile del '98 in 104 copie in vinile trasparente, oggi oggetto di aste furibonde quanto naturalmente infrequenti. Un evento dunque questa ristampa della statunitense Elephant Stone, di un disco che avvince con la straripante Deep, i vortici psichedelici di Fragile, il basso post-punk di Cut, il jangle pop ma di scorza dura di I've Been Away, l'irruente melodia di Feel It, ultimo sussulto shoegazing, ed il furioso epilogo acidissimo di Spacewalk, che avesse avuto l'opportunità di farsi conoscere non sarebbe certo rimasto privilegio di pochissimi. A completare integralmente la loro discografia "Swirl" aggiunge a quanto detto anche i tre pezzi apparsi solo in altrettante compilazioni. (7/8) —Paolo Bertoni (May 2005)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) As the cliché goes, timing is everything, and this particularly holds true when you're in a rock band. If your group was influenced by the sound originated in the late '70s/early '80s, now is the time to catch that proverbial wave; the music industry can't seem to get enough of bands like Franz Ferdinand, the Killers, the Kaiser Chiefs, and countless others who spent too much time fawning over their names and clothing. Ten years ago however, sounding like a blend of post-punk and new wave wasn't all that fashionable. Rather than being labeled innovative, you'd more likely appear to be behind the times. Perhaps this is why Reverb never received their due accolades. Formed in 1993 and dismantled in 1997, the band never made it past the suburbs of success, maybe because their sound wasn't in vogue during the heyday of grunge and that strange, awkward period afterwards when every band was trying to distance itself from the Seattle sound (but still employing Eddie Vedder-isms). While most bands were wondering what to do with their distortion pedals, Reverb was perfecting their own sound -- a sound decidedly retro in nature, harkening back to the folk psychedelia of the '60s and shimmering grandeur of '80s new wave. Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Ant Walker, bassist Dave Battersby, and drummer Ben Godding (and later drummer Jason Absolon), Reverb were adept at crafting catchy songs that would foreshadow a retro movement a decade later. Undoubtedly, this sound is what attracted famed (and criminally underrated) Echo and the Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant to Reverb. Like the Bunnymen, Reverb's sound was marked by melodic, arabesque guitar lines; agile, propulsive drumming; and moody, often dark vocals. Sergeant went on to produce some of the band's work, and even appeared on some of their recordings. Reverb, however, were no Bunnymen rehash; while Sergeant's band spent their career fusing new wave pop and eerie goth, Reverb's sound was decidedly more pop, emphasizing melody and hooks. Swirl compiles Reverb's entire discography, which consists of a terse 23 songs. The compilation begins with the band's singles and EPs, and it's clear why these songs were selected for radio play. They are quite simply, catchy as hell. Album-opener "Pedal" displays the band's ability to entrance through nuance. What could easily be just another two-and-a-half minute pop song is made ethereal through carefully placed overdubs that resemble chimes and strings. "Swirl" begins with -- what else? -- a swirling guitar line that gains momentum as the song progresses and displays the exotic majesty of Sergeant's finer moments. "Colourblind" alternates between chiming guitar notes and distorted chords, displaying the dichotomy in Walker's lyrics: "My world is black and white / So won't you bring a little colour to me…" Though the songs fluctuate in tone and approach, each displays the trio's musicianship, which is tight, fluid, and enveloping. The overall feel is that of a talented young band trying desperately to keep pace with their ambitions, the frantic pace of the songs always one step behind the grandiose ideas. The second half of Swirl focuses on material taken from Reverb's one full-length album, which was only released on vinyl. These songs have a more mature feel than the first half of the compilation, and some of the raw energy has been replaced by more complex songwriting. "Cut" for example, is a masterpiece of mood, alternating from eerie minimalism to nearly overwhelming layers of guitar. Some of the songs however, still possess the urgent sound of Reverb's earlier work. "Vertigo" for instance, begins with a distorted riff that is repeated throughout the song at key moments, until the song explodes into an orgy of guitar overdubs and athletic drumming. These songs hint at the band's growth, displaying their ability to check raw enthusiasm with skilled craftsmanship. Unfortunately, Reverb wasn't around long enough to fully develop their potential. Swirl shows that Reverb was destined to be one of those bands who weren't fully appreciated until after their demise. Their sound wasn't in tune with the 1990s, but only because a large part of the 1990s wasn't in tune with anything durable. Now that retro is once again mainstream, perhaps Reverb will get a second glance and school some of the new acts currently on the charts. Lesson one: the haircuts and suits aren't as key as the songs… —Michael Franco (May 2005)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) This compiles tracks from an unjustly overlooked British band from the mid-‘90s. Basically, they were ahead of the curve on this whole post-punk revival thing. One influence apparent on early tracks is Echo and the Bunnymen. Indeed, they ultimately got Echo's Will Sargeant to produce a few of their songs. But Reverb was no one-trick pony, and they could rock it up with ‘77 rock fury, and had a songwriting sensibility that evoked the melodies of bands like The Chills and The Velvet Underground. Many of the songs are grounded in the swirling rhythms laid down by bass player Dave Battersby with drummers Ben Godding and Jason Absolon. Ant Walker was not a classic post-punk crooner, and was a bit more of a working class yob striving for romanticism and reaching it, when he wasn't simply seething. Walker also provided sheets of guitar and cool accented leads. Songs like "Swirl" and "Deep" are powerful atmospheric rock and serve as a bridge between Echo and The Chameleons and current practitioners like British Sea Power and Interpol. My favorite track of this stripe might be "Colorblind", which seems to bring almost all of its influences into a coherent whole. The mix of pretty melodies and guitars with explosive rock power is enhanced by a very Chills-like composition. These guys definitely were on to something. They could also flat out rock, as on "The Man Who Came Back", which builds to fiery conclusion. The band even knew its way around a hook, as shown on the pithy "Mr. Soundman" and the twice-waxed "Shopping", which an enterprising pop-punk band should have a go at. Yet again, as with its Delta compilation, Elephant Stone is preserving some terrific music from the not-so-distant past that still sounds vital today. —Mike Bennett (May 2005)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) One of the recent (and more exciting) trends in music is for labels to re-release a band’s previously hard-to-find catalogue. Sometimes the re-release will be mastered, or contain extra tracks from the band. Sometimes the music is released on a medium (CD) that was originally not available for the music listener. And oftentimes, the re-release combines the most important tracks from a band’s body of work onto one convenient disc. Tied into this trend is the re-release of out of print songs from bands that didn’t enjoy a particularly wide popularity, so labels release the music again in the hopes that it’ll catch the ears of new fans. Ohio’s Elephant Stone Records continues this trend, with a sprawling 23 track release of the greatest tracks from British garage-psych-rock-pop group Reverb. With a discography that spans only about 5 years in the mid-90’s, the trio was able to fashion a surprisingly extensive catalogue of energetic rock songs that won the band acclaim in their native UK. Elephant Stone has compiled the highlights of this era into one CD called Swirl, named after the group’s UK charts hit. For a compilation of decade-old songs from a relatively obscure and foreign band, Swirl sounds impressively fresh. The material has aged tremendously well, and the frantic and slightly hypnotic music fits in well with today’s North American underground pop-punk-rock scene. With subtle nods to Echo and the Bunnymen, David Bowie, and perhaps The Church, the songs of Reverb quake with the swagger and hints of rebellion that are present in every great rock band. Swirl consists of short, terse rock jams, mostly about 3 minutes long, and are linked together by the punchy vocals of Ant Walker. Sounding neither elegant nor overly raw, Walker’s vocals fit perfectly with his band’s songs that seem to threaten to brim over to rock mayhem…but never quite go over the edge. What the listener is left with, then, are wonderful little pop-rock songs that convey a strong sense of tension within the music and playing. At 23 tracks, recorded within a relatively short time and not veering too far from the band’s style, the songs of Swirl do seem to largely mesh together, but that is also a result of Elephant Stone’s wise song sequencing. However, it makes it a little challenging to point out real highlights of Swirl, because all of the songs deserve a good listen. “Pedal” sticks out, due to its catchy melody and subtle keys (an instrument not heard on most of Reverb’s other songs). The short “Sensory Overload” (which seems to be a song about a man struggling to not go insane at a lost love) is a full throttle rock-punk song (sounding a bit like a better produced The Ramones) with oodles of vigour and yet a strong melody. The mostly instrumental “Deep” shows the band’s devotion and penchant for psychedelia, despite its quick tempo and energy. “Mr. Soundman” is a timeless rock song with a strong melody, nice guitar playing in lieu of a chorus, and fun lyrics. Indeed, one can comment on all of the songs on Swirl, as amazingly, there isn’t a weak track on the album. Some songs are a little more aggressive, veering on the side of classic punk, while others are more straight-forward rock-pop (and still others leaning ever so gently on the side of psychedelic sounds), but in totality, all of the songs are interesting, fun, and lively. Swirl is not the usual kind of CD one would expect us to review at Somewhere Cold (despite the band’s very dreampopish name), but this collection of high-quality rockers is strong enough on its own to garner our attention, despite its dissimilarity to the music we usually feature. And shoegaze fans will find something to like in the psychedelic “Cut”, with its haunting mood and lingering guitars. But, mostly, Swirl chronicles a talented band’s too short career, and provides the listener with a batch of songs that are just as relevant today as they were when they were originally released. A fine tribute to a nearly forgotten band, Swirl is a testament to just how wonderful this re-releasing trend can be, and is sure to win Reverb some new fans. (4 1/2 Stars) —Brent (May 2005)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) Sounds like a band I would’ve loved back in the day when they existed but truth be told I had never heard of this bunch before Ben at Elephant Stone sent me the cd. The band existed roughly from 1993-’97 (the guitarist/vocalist and bassist are both in space rock band The Land of Nod) and while being championed by Echo and the Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant, they come off , at times, like an Echo Jr. band. This is not an insult by any means but a comparison at the strength of Reverb’s swirling songs (like on the rockin’ title track) while “Metamorphosis”: reminded me more of New Zealand great, The Chills. The 23 songs here compile the band’s vinyl-only full-length (TIME LAPSE) as well as singles and comp tracks. If you appreciated the sounds of Spacemen 3 more than Blur then this might be right up your alley. —Tim Hinely (April 2005)

High Bias Magazine

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) Ant Walker and Dave Battersby, the principals behind the now-defunct Reverb, are supposedly better known for their current outfit The Land of Nod than for this one. We'll just take the critics' word on that one. Anyway, Swirl collects all of Reverb's 90s work: an album, an EP and several singles. I've no idea what TLoN sounds like, but Reverb clearly falls into the psychedelic rock/pop realm, like a more ragged Echo & the Bunnymen or a more polished Spacemen 3. Admittedly, there are dozens of bands past and present doing this, but Reverb's enthusiasm and expert songwriting ability puts it right up there with the masters. If you're an proponent of modern British psych, you definitely want to hear Swirl. —Michael Toland (April 2005)

Reverb Swirl (Elephant Stone) A compilation of the band's entire discography, Swirl demonstrates that Reverb deserve more attention than just for being the roots of the Land of Nod, formed by lead members Ant Walker and Dave Battersby. Instead of that duo's intoxicating blend of instrumental psych/gaze for guitar and bass, Reverb was far more a straight-up rock band, usually recording and performing quick, punchy songs with vocals in a trio format. The first half of Swirl covers the earliest singles and EPs, and as such are the most derivative but still enjoyable songs on the disc, nodding to any variety of British and American rock touchstones with a tripped-out feeling, old and new. Walker's clear singing is far more direct than myriad other guitar-pedal abusers of the early nineties, though — a bit of Kinks spike and garage attitude that keeps things from being drifty, matched musically by the energetic, fluid riffing Battersby comes up with, not to mention early drummer Ben Godding's way around propulsive, frenetic crash and bash. It's well in evidence on such A-sides as "Velocity Fall," the monstrous noise of "Mesmorized," the killer title track — providing one of the best mock-Arabian moments in rock — and "Melting Into You," a triumphant, strong number that shows a clear debt to Echo and the Bunnymen in their pomp (a favor repaid by Will Sergeant's fandom and production work). Most of the second half of the disc draws on the band's one full album, only released on vinyl and itself taken from a number of different sessions; it's an enjoyable continuation of the sound established by the earlier singles if not always quite so stunning, but songs like "Fragile" are hardly slouches. Add in some enthusiastic — perhaps overly so! — liner notes and the result's a treat of a disc. (4 stars) —Ned Raggett (April 2005)