Slowdive

Slowdive [EP] (1990)

eatdogs

Slowdive, one of the treasures of the Shoegaze genre,

reunited back in 2014 to much applause. No one ever thought that this could

happen, but once The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited back in 2007, then My Bloody

Valentine later that same year, a domino effect had started and since then the

world has gotten reunions of classic acts like Swervedriver, Ride, Lush,

Chapterhouse, Medicine, Lilys, and of course Slowdive. I guess at this point

all that’s left to make this the most amazing time to be alive ever are

reunions of Catherine Wheel, Drop Nineteens, The Boo Radley’s, Galaxy 500, and

the almighty Cocteau Twins.

At the time of this writing Slowdive are releasing a new

album after a 20-year gap. In order to get a better understanding of this one

sole act, let’s go all the way back to the very start and dig into their debut

self-titled ep released on Creation Records in 1990.

In the words of Creation Records founder Alan McGee, “Slowdive

are ethereal.” At least that is what lead singer Neil Halstead said when they

first met McGee. He signed them based off hearing a demo tape and then quickly

got out the Slowdive ep for mass

consumption.

Coming up after already established acts such as Ride and My

Bloody Valentine, Slowdive seemed like folks late to the party. That went away almost

immediately after garnering rave reviews and media attention for this simple three-track

release. What a stunner it is…

Opening song “Slowdive” immediately lets you know what is

going to take place. The fuzzy guitars over wash the vocals of both Halstead

and second guitarist Rachel Goswell. The duo are what make the band so great,

and the way they both bounce off each other and share hooks is dreamy and thoughtful.

Their combining vocals always seem to present Slowdive’s music in a more

personal way. Like perhaps this is their own story being told. Makes sense

seeing as how the two had known each other since childhood and were a couple

through most of the bands history. That shared history is what makes this music

touching, and not so much a throwaway.

Second track “Avalyn I” is Shoegaze perfection. If you

wanted to quickly let someone hear a Shoegaze song, pick either this or “You

Made Me Realize” by My Bloody Valentine. I would personally start with “Avalyn

I” and turn the volume up to freakin’ 11! The slow buildup of guitars, bass,

and drums give the song an eerie quality that keeps the listener wondering what

will happen next. You keep expecting things to explode in a cacophony of

extreme noise and high-altitude screeching, but nope, it just distills itself

and keeps a moody pace throughout, only stopping once the fade ends.

The ambience of Avalyn I cannot be undermined, and that is

even more so on track three, “Avalyn II”. A little over eight minutes in length,

it is the same song minus the vocals. So really, you have a Shoegaze

instrumental and the perfect background noise for one’s pursuit of perhaps a

hobby, or even something to ignore. Put the song on repeat, sit quietly with your

thoughts and some good headphones and things can get weird.

This was just the start of the band’s quick rise, then even

quicker vilified fall. UK music press was and still is, very savage, and at the

time it was considered subpar to be lumped in with the Shoegaze genre. Grunge

and the massive appeal of Brit-Pop pretty much eradicated Shoegaze, but left in

the ashes of those that fell are the treasured tunes of all the bands mentioned

above.

After two more ep’s Slowdive released their debut full length

Just For a Day. Critics wrote them

off and the band retreated into themselves. Nevertheless, out of those

depressing times came their best album, Souvlaki.

That’s a review for another time though…

Dig it.