On their first album in 22 years, Slowdive manage to successfully rekindle the sound they’re famous for whilst simultaneously creating an album unique in their discography.
Formed in Reading, England 1989, Slowdive was created whilst its members were only in their teens. This was reflected in the sound of their music with the lead singer Neil Halstead since stating in a Pitchfork documentary that their music was ‘kinda angsty’ and was the type that could only be made by teenagers. Despite their age, Slowdive didn’t take long before being signed to Creation Records in 1990, which was then the home of the most successful Shoegaze bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Ride. This gave Slowdive the perfect platform where they went onto release three albums in the early 1990’s.
Slowdive became famous for offering a more pop and accessible side to shoegaze, with fan favourite tracks like Alison and When the Sun Hits featuring blissful blending of guitars with lyrics that are instantly rememberable. Not only is this achieved by the stunning mix of guitars and drums, the dynamic of Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell on vocals contribute to providing both a masculine and feminine beauty which is the heart of Slowdive.
However, due to the Britpop movement in the UK at the time with bands like Blur and Oasis dominating the music scene, Slowdive were never fully appreciated by critics. For Slowdive’s third (and what thought to be their last) album Pygmalion (1993) the band went in a different, more ambient electronic direction, which ultimately led to them being dropped by Creation Records. Since then, Slowdive have received a vast amount of praise from both fans and critics, with many deeming their second album Souvlaki a shoegaze classic. Therefore, when the band decided to reunite in 2014 fans were on the edge of their seats waiting for new music. This eventually happened on January 12th 2017 with Slowdive releasing the single ‘Star Roving’ which was to be followed by their first full length album in 22 years.
Framing the album as a self-titled release, many speculated whether this could mean that the new album would sound like a mix of the bands earlier work. Or alternatively, that the band is re-inventing themselves, which with the new album now out I believe to be accurate – this is Slowdive now in 2017, with the album showcasing how their sound has matured and progressed whilst still feeling ‘fun and relevant’ as the band stated on their Instagram.
The album opens with what could possibly be a contender for song of the year, with the incredibly spacey atmosphere that has the ability to immerse the listener into the album and out of reality. The dreamy tone is then emphasised greater when Rachel’s vocals burst into the foreground towards the end of the track, setting up the rest of the album perfectly. The mellow yet glowing intensity shown on the first track continues throughout the rest of the album, which was arguably demonstrated better through the second single ‘Sugar for the Pill’ where the band first showed how their sound has evolved. This is opposed to ‘Star Roving’ which evidently drew influences from the Souvlaki period but in a less interesting manner with the track being slightly repetitive and predictable for its 5-minute length. ‘Star Roving’ aside, there is little else to fault in terms of the rest of the album.
As would be expected with a shoegaze album, Slowdive is beautifully layered. Additionally, with standout tracks such as ‘Don’t Know Why’ and ‘Go Get It’ having so much going on instrumently to create the ethereal soundscape it is impressive just how clean they sound. However, on a few occasions the lyrics on the album can be lost in the haze of production, which when paying close attention can feel unrewarding not knowing exactly what the song is about.
This is something that is common among shoegaze albums, yet is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, for their main priority is aesthetic and feeling captured by the listener. One could argue that the soft vocals of Neil and Rachel contribute greatly here and add to this sensation even if you can’t make out every word. Furthermore, the album closes on what can be considered the most similar to the works of Pygmalion where the subtle ambience of the track expands across 8 minutes and is very reminiscent of Radiohead’s track ‘Daydreaming’. ‘Falling Ashes’ accurately reflects its title with the track’s ambient approach and leading vocals resembling that of ashes falling from a hazy night sky. Could this signify the fire/spark of Slowdive finally going out and this to be their last album? I sincerely hope not.
Overall, Slowdive doesn’t build upon the direction undertaken in Pygmalion nor does it have the same aesthetic as Souvlaki or Just for a Day, it encapsulates a sound of its own and is one hell of a comeback album.
Last modified: July 9, 2017
