Magnetic Morning

Weeks after Swervedriver's mini-reunion tour, and less than a year after his first proper solo release, Adam Franklin joins forces with Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino (along with the Album Leaf's Jimmy Lavelle, members of the Still Outs and Interpol's live band) to record full-length release A.M. under the moniker Magnetic Morning. Franklin and Fogarino complement each other's style quite well, as "Spring Unseen," "The Wrong Turning" and "Out in the Streets" would be just another batch of run-of-the-mill, post-Swervedriver songs without Fogarino's leaden arrangements and clockwork drumming. Though Franklin doesn't approach these songs much differently than his early '90s material, Fogarino gives the album a sandpaper sheen, creating a grinding haze reminiscent of artists like Fennesz and Labradford. Sitting somewhere between Swervedriver's loose guitar jams and Interpol's straight and narrow hymns, A.M. offers something more than just an olive branch for fans of the Swervies.