Slowdive

Slowdive (2017)

RENALDO69

Slowdive are a magical experience that separates your soul from your body and returns it all the more pure. 22 years later and here we are with Slowdive -- a self-titled record filled with statements of love. It's like they never missed a beat. You'd think that such a long gap in between albums would result in some rust but even those moments are turned into ethereal notes; and melodies that swarm you and warm you.

It doesn't matter which era of indie/emo/shoegaze/dream pop you're immersed in or came from. From My Bloody Valentine to Beach House to Kite Party, this band continues to float above the bar. Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell's vocals wash into and out of each other with a gorgeous haze on tracks like "Slomo" and "No Longer Making Time", painting some of the band's most lyrically personal, powerful and relatable content to date. Despite running the risk of sounding the same, or the tracks being a tad too long, everything unfolds in such a manner that you don't want them to stop. It's shimmery dream-pop at its finest and dialed back perfectly to the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to bands like Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai. Slowdive isn't about amping it up or getting too aggressive.

As "Star Roving" and "Sugar for the Pill" suggest, it's all about lush, dense walls of sound. The deep lyrics just add icing on the cake. Do yourself a favor and bite in. If you're looking for something that's as moody as it is calming, and as beautiful as it is atmospheric, Slowdive's for you. Just thank the heavens they came back to save us with these eight tracks.