SLOWDIVE Vinilo y CD

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


First released in 1992, Slowdive's 'Blue Day' compiles the best of the band's earliest outings in the shoegaze genre, bottling them under a singly brittle, blue banner. Just seven tracks adorn its two sides, with the notable self-titled track 'Slowdive' signalling some hint of the band's origins (its wayward drumming getting at an especially happy naivete). Later moments on the record, such as 'Morningrise', are comparatively icier verging on frostbitten, with an overdriven crunch clipping off the most amped edges of the transient hits, suggesting an imperfect medium. On the B, the best of the lot is the slow colic of 'Losing Today', a song palpably packed with a sense of loss, most notably achieved via its soaring, cuspate guitar ogees, albeit ones which just about peek their heads above the shrednoise.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Since 2017's exceptional self-titled return to form, which marked the first new material in over two decades from Reading shoegaze pioneers Slowdive, fans have been anticipating a continuation of the group's welcome resurgence, as it was first revealed in 2020 that work on yet another full-length was well under way. Everything Is Alive promises a more minimal electronic based backdrop, seemingly at odds with the mercurial dream-pop of its predecessor, while being directly influenced by the passing of both vocalist/guitarist Rachel Goswell's mother and drummer Simon Scott's father. Where six years is often perceived as a lengthy gap between releases, for the inimitable Slowdive, it's a very promising turnaround, indicating the rejuvenated passion, poise and purpose the members feel when in collaboration and craft.

Review: Sony Records has decided to reissue a slew of early albums from British shoegaze and dream pop sorts Slowdive, a band that has enjoyed a successful comeback since reforming late last decade. Here they take us back to the formative years of the Reading-born band and 1991 full-length debut Just For a Day. Recorded in leafy Oxfordshire (Abington specifically), the set is as lush, densely layered, effects-laden and gently psychedelic as you'd expect from a set that's (rightly) still regarded as one of the strongest shoegaze albums of all time. For proof, check the hypnotic, slow-motion pulse of opener 'Spanish Air', the low slung bass and hallucinatory textures of 'Catch The Breeze', the near-ambient immersion of 'Erik's Song', and the jangly sparkle of 'Brightness'.

Review: While now - rightly - hailed as one of the greatest shoegaze albums of all time, Slowdive's sophomore full-length Souvlaki was initially panned by critics - a fate that also befell the Reading combo's debut Just For a Day. Now remastered and reissued on CD for the first time in years, the 1993 set remains a pleasingly saucer-eyed, heavily layered and decidedly dreamy affair. Musically, it's generally brighter and more jangling than its predecessor, leaning more heavily into the dream-pop end of their sound whilst still retaining the reverb-heavy, suitably psychedelic guitar textures of shoegaze. Highlights include the funky, late 60s nostalgia of '40 Days', the dubby and spaced-out headiness of 'Sing' and the stretched-out heaviness of 'Souvlaki Space Station'.

Review: In its time, which spans 16 years from the mid-1980s to the turn of the Millennium, Creation Records was incapable of misfiring. From Boo Radleys and Guided By Voices, The Jesus & Mary Chain to Bob Mould, Ride, Kevin Rowland, Teenage Fanclub and Super Furry Animals. Let alone Primal Scream. Renowned for a multitude of genres, but particularly shoegaze, suffice to say Slowdive, England's dream pop doyens, delivered some of the label's most seminal work. Souvlaki is a prime example. Although it narrowly missed a spot in the UK's Top 50 Albums Chart, peaking at 51 in 1993, retrospective attention has heralded this not just as a shoegaze classic, but also a true landmark of late-20th Century British music. "Quiet, moving, and aggressive simultaneously, mixing trance-like beauty with the deepest delayed guitar sounds around," Pitchfork once said. Now, if you've more to add, speak up.

Review: Slowdive's Pygmalion stands as a profound yet overlooked gem in the band's discography. Released amidst the Britpop and grunge dominance of 1995, it was unfairly dismissed, leading to the band's quiet dissolution. However, if you revisit Pygmalion, it reveals a hauntingly beautiful departure from their earlier shoegaze roots. Now, pressed on vinyl, you can enjoy all the ways this release has stood against time and trends. The album is a minimalist masterpiece, stripping away their trademark wall of noise to reveal ethereal, ambient landscapes. Tracks like the opening epic 'Rutti' set the tone with its subdued guitar work and Neil Halstead's introspective vocals, evoking a sense of contemplative solitude. Throughout the album, space is pivotal - an expansive, cathedral-like atmosphere crafted through restrained instrumentation and atmospheric production. While critics of its time failed to appreciate its subtleties, Pygmalion now stands as a visionary work ahead of its time. Its influence can be heard in subsequent bands like Mogwai and Low, who embraced its meditative qualities and minimalist approach. In today's context, the album's tranquil melodies offer a refuge, resonating with listeners seeking solace amidst chaos. Slowdive's Pygmalion remains a shinning example to their artistic integrity and the enduring power of quiet introspection in music.

Review: First released in 1992, Slowdive's 'Blue Day' compiles the best of the band's earliest outings in the shoegaze genre, bottling them under a singly brittle, blue banner. Just seven tracks adorn its two sides, with the notable self-titled track 'Slowdive' signalling some hint of the band's origins (its wayward drumming getting at an especially happy naivete). Later moments on the record, such as 'Morningrise', are comparatively icier verging on frostbitten, with an overdriven crunch clipping off the most amped edges of the transient hits, suggesting an imperfect medium. On the B, the best of the lot is the slow colic of 'Losing Today', a song palpably packed with a sense of loss, most notably achieved via its soaring, cuspate guitar ogees, albeit ones which just about peek their heads above the shrednoise.

Review: Slowdive's 1991 debut Just For A Day, out again via Music On Vinyl. Less famous than their name-making lucky strike Souvlaki, Just For A Day is still a nonetheless sublime full-length shoegaze record. Nine sabresque songs opine the nostalgic feeling of a short-lived tryst, beginning with a recollection of the 'Spanish Air' and ending on a deeper musing on the 'Primal'. A must-have for any completist hooverhead, Slowdive's debut surely set the tone for a career that was yet to burgeon (and continues to flourish) and yet still retains a purity that no other record in their discography shares.

Review: Shoegazers delight as Slowdive finally return with their first new album in six years. As you would expect, the band took their time working towards the perfect end result after lead singer and guitarist Neil Halstead laid down preliminary demos back in 2020. Obvious global crises impeded the progress until the band were able to reconvene and embark on two years worth of recording from those foundations until they reached the album we're presented with today (with a little help from Shawn Everett on mixing duties). As lead single 'kisses' intimates, the band's treasured dream-pop qualities remain intact while hinting at a more subtle, introverted sound than was heard on their standout self-titled album in 2017.

Review: Since 2017's exceptional self-titled return to form, which marked the first new material in over two decades from Reading shoegaze pioneers Slowdive, fans have been anticipating a continuation of the group's welcome resurgence, as it was first revealed in 2020 that work on yet another full-length was well under way. Everything Is Alive promises a more minimal electronic based backdrop, seemingly at odds with the mercurial dream-pop of its predecessor, while being directly influenced by the passing of both vocalist/guitarist Rachel Goswell's mother and drummer Simon Scott's father. Where six years is often perceived as a lengthy gap between releases, for the inimitable Slowdive, it's a very promising turnaround, indicating the rejuvenated passion, poise and purpose the members feel when in collaboration and craft.

Review: Anticipation is running high around Slowdive's long-awaited new album. Arriving six years after their self-titled comeback in 2017, the shoegaze icons' follow-up record is a true product of the times, hampered by pandemic delays and written as a reflection on significant personal losses for band members, but equally they were never going to rush something out for the sake of it. Lead singer Neil Halstead laid down some initial demos in 2020, and then when the band could come back together they worked on recordings for two years before getting to the finished product. If you love the band's swirling, dream-like sound, you won't be disappointed by lead single 'kisses' or, indeed, any of the other tracks contained within.

Review: Having just performed their first ever Glastonbury set this summer, Reading shoegaze pioneers Slowdive are set to unveil their much anticipated fifth full-length Everything Is Alive. Following on from 2017's exceptional self-titled return to form, marking their first new material in over two decades, fans have been eagerly awaiting a continuation of the group's second wind since revealing in 2020 that work was under way for yet another full-length. Promising more minimal electronic based soundscapes as opposed to the ethereal dream-pop of its predecessor, as well being directly influenced and reflective of the passing of both vocalist/guitarist Rachel Goswell's mother and drummer Simon Scott's father, prepare for yet another reshaping of melancholic grandeur in the atypical incomparable Slowdive fashion.

Review: It makes perfect sense that Slowdive waited until album number four to punt for self-titled. They're a complex band with a deeply textured and immersive sound, at once dream pop and shoegaze while being entirely their own at the same time. Slowdive represents the culmination of efforts to get to that place. A record that defines their tone as much as elevates it to the next level.

Back in 2017 - when the world felt so much different to the one we live in today - critics certainly agreed. Many viewed this outing as their finest to date, packing vast, open atmospherics in spades, presenting a vision as far-reaching as it is wrapped up in itself. At once looking back and summarising everything that had gone before it, and then promising a future brightly lit with new ideas, it's the epitome of what progressive rock should mean in the literal sense.

Review: The return of Slowdive has been one of the minor miracles of the 21st century thus far - having originally split up in a mist of disinterest and press opprobrium in the Britpop-damaged mid-'90s, the band have watched their profile and reputation slowly rise to the extent of them now being regarded as scene pioneers and innovators. True to its eponymous name, this album is the sound of these Thames Valley charmers re-asserting everything that made them magical in the first place a full quarter century on, not to mention a dizzying collision of ethereal harmonies, heavenly guitar cascades and opiated dreamstates possessed of a timeless allure.

Review: The return of Slowdive has been one of the minor miracles of the 21st century thus far - having originally split up in a mist of disinterest and press opprobrium in the Britpop-damaged mid-'90s, the band have watched their profile and reputation slowly rise to the extent of them now being regarded as scene pioneers and innovators. True to its eponymous name, this album is the sound of these Thames Valley charmers re-asserting everything that made them magical in the first place a full quarter century on, not to mention a dizzying collision of ethereal harmonies, heavenly guitar cascades and opiated dreamstates possessed of a timeless allure.