Swerve may hail from Los Angeles but they take many of their musical cues from the UK, working closely with Adam Lasus, who is a keen admirer of Teenage Fanclub and The La’s. For their most recent release they have taken on one of Manchester’s totemic anthems, “I Wanna Be Adored.”
The gradual disappearance of the track intro, as artists try and grab the attention before the 30 seconds that will earn them a tiny fraction of a penny in royalties from streamers, is lamented by many. When the Stone Roses created “I Wanna Be Adored” they did so in the expectations that people were sitting down to listen to, at the very least, side one of their much-vaunted debut LP. They felt they deserved that much, at the very least. It was an introduction to a body of work and took its time to create the world, with a soundscape from which Mani’s bass gradually emerged to be joined by the rest of the band in an epic expression of faith. In themselves.
Swerve note that they have not heard any covers of the song, which may be true but does suggest a lack of curiosity, given that many exist, some of which have been marked on this site. However, that approach does allow the ability to interpret freely. They do not stint on the introduction, breaking one gently into the piece. There is none of the certainty of the original and Swerve’s Greg Mahdesian, like the rest of the entirety of the human race, lacks the swagger of Ian Brown, but he makes his presence felt. The band can deploy the litheness of the John Squires original guitar work, but use it sparingly. 1991 was not a time of comfort in the world, but The Stone Roses tried to provide a beacon of certainty. Swerve go a different direction, which may be more suited to these times. They have confidence in their approach, but are less sure about the world.
