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.