Slowdive – Slowdive

Thankfully for shoegaze pioneers Slowdive, 'Slowdive' goes right....
Slowdive : Slowdive
8.0 Dead Oceans
2017 

Slowdive : Slowdive

The story is familiar: a critically acclaimed nineties alternative band, whose label travails led them to break up back then, are back together right now, with a new, self-titled album to boot. It could go wrong, or it could go very right. Thankfully for shoegaze pioneers Slowdive, Slowdive goes right.

The enveloping beauty of Slowdive back in the nineties was always risking going too extreme, but Slowdive never loses itself in itself. From the start with “Slomo”, the album has an effortless sweet atmosphere that is remarkable. Fuzzy music can get lost, can lose the listener, but pieces like the following “Star Roving” have just enough rock behind it to keep pushing forward. By and large this is a relatively uplifting release, though the penultimate “Go Get It” is more evocative, and the haunting closer “Falling Ashes” wouldn’t be out of place from Nick Cave.

Slowdive haven’t just returned to play the songs you listened to on your CD stereo in your bedroom or college dorm. Slowdive embraces the band and what they mean.

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