It's been a long ride to Forever - but now that they've arrived, the vibe's lightning and the blink of an eye. Glyders have been dreaming up this sound for over a decade. Joshua Condon and Eliza Weber founded the band in Chicago back in 2014, building a reputation through countless shows, late nights at the tape machine, and a revolving door of drummers that never quite clicked. They self-released EPs (DIM, Lend a Hand) and in 2023 delivered their debut full-length, the acclaimed Maria's Hunt - but even then, something was missing. The drum seat remained a revolving door. Then they met Joe Seger.
Seger fit on the kit like a glove and in their sound like a brother. Since then, the three have ridden together across the US and Europe, building up Forever on stages from Seattle to Chicago to wherever the road led next. The song nugs sprouted branches and spokes on the road - and the streamlined new chassis feels mighty fine.
This is Glyders' first real band album. Not a collection of sessions with whoever was available, but a document of three musicians locked in, listening to each other, pushing each other forward. Forever was taped at the band's own Studio "G" in Chicago's Humboldt Park, with Condon getting the sounds they like - warm, analog, alive - then mixed by Cooper Crain (of Bitchin Bajas) at Sweat Loge Studios down in Pilsen. The result is 37 minutes of voltage-enhanced excitement that honors the masters while carving its own path.
And yes, there are masters. Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Band, Leon Russell, T. Rex - Glyders carry this lineage in their bones, but they're not imitators. They've absorbed the lessons of old-school tunesmithery and honest recording techniques, then filtered them through garage rock grit, psych-rock shimmer, and a punk ethos that keeps everything lean and hungry. Nothing outstays its welcome. Everything puts a foot to the floor.
"Super Glyde" announces the band with a self-referencing statement of intent - through the haze of guitar feedback, mute notes and brisk twangs, glam intersects with southern boogie. "We're goin' for quite a ride," Condon sings while Weber twirls the bass lines into a giddy spin. "Moon Eyes" and the closing "Thousand Miles" offer sunroof sway and unabated dreaminess - Glyders pulling their audience into vast lands where the country breeze blows through the hair. "Stone Shadow," the first single, is a hard-slapping rocker where Condon declares "Ain't got no money / I just wanna have a ball" while shimmering synths and sharp guitar breaks cut through the stomp. "Hard Ride" drifts along beautifully. "RTZ" erupts into droning psychedelic wig-out with keys, plinks and squalls soloing into orbit. And "Steppin' / Tell Me About The Rabbit" - galloping glam country with added Barrett-inspired weirdness - dispenses something that fills the room with colors, shapes, and new vitality.
The title Forever comes from a battle cry within the band. Weber's cover art emphasizes this "for life" credo, mixing classic roots with punk collage style drawn from years of flyers. It's a family/club vibe, the kind of thing you get tattooed into your skin. Not nostalgia - commitment.
There's a timelessness to Forever that places you in a moment where everything else is irrelevant. CCR meets garage rock meets punk meets psych rock. A record somewhere between traditional blues rock and modern freakout. Psych-infused lounge country that sparks the senses. Glyders are a kaleidoscopic force of past and present, taking rock 'n' roll to the places it needs to go.
Drop Forever on the platter and get the house party started.
