The Neverlutionaries Release Debut Album

Psychedelic Alternative Rock band The Neverlutionaries released their Debut Self-Titled LP on February 12, 2021. Band leader Christopher Harold Wells was joined by legendary guitarist Kenny Olson (Bootsy Collins, Sheryl Crow), drummer/producer Chris McGrew, session/studio drummer Nick Baglio (Gucci Mane) and guitarist Jonnie Axtell (Psychefunkapus). The album was recorded at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco and was produced by Jaimeson Durr who has also worked with artists such as Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Train, Wyclef, and the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart. Wells was previously a member of the industrial rock band Peasants of the Apocalypse which opened for acts such as Metallica, Everclear and Def Leppard.

On The Neverlutionaries, Wells blends rock with shoegaze, jazz, and alternative sounds. As a child he was exposed to multiple genres including blues, gospel, soul and jazz. Wells explains the origin of the band’s name, “The idea is that people are so lost in modern times, with so many issues to contend with and no great source of positive energy in which to draw from, that a real and true revolution seems impossible and it may never be. Hence, The Neverlutionaries. When I came up with the name late last year, there was a palpable tension in the air in our country, like something was about to blow… and it did.”

This is a throwback album to the ‘80s and ‘90s with Wells sharing his love of shoegaze and grunge inspired guitars. The album displays a wide range of sounds. His vocals blend into waves of heavily distorted guitars on “Ticking Away” and “Save Yourself”. There are dreamy, airy vocals on “Ariana”, “Stumble”, “Precious Eyes”, and “Unconditionally”. Speaking about “Ariana” Wells says “The song is about the way love makes your soul dance about and how the feeling moves you. The music is like life with many movements and changes… harmony to discord and then to resolution. Like the ocean waves, the rhythm is never exactly the same and that where the magic is”.

Wells employs a variety of guitar styles on the album. Arpeggiating guitars appear on “As It Burns” and “Stardusted”. Hendrix style wah-wah funk rhythms are exhibited on “Everybody’s Losing Their Minds”. Heavy guitar riffs dominate “Ill Equation”. Wells closes out the album with the “Ellis Street Stomp” featuring piano and sax along with subtle jazz guitar.

The Neverlutionaries is a diverse album filled with an assortment of different musical styles and sounds. Christopher Wells puts a contemporary touch on the shoegaze sound from the ’80s and ’90s introducing a new generation of listeners to this genre. Those who are fans of bands like My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and the Cocteau Twins will enjoy the album.

Track List