Saturday 17 March 2018

My Bloody Valentine ‎Loveless


My Bloody ValentineLoveless

Get It At Discogs
Isn't Anything was good enough to inspire an entire scene of My Bloody Valentine soundalikes, but Loveless' greatness proved that the band was inimitable. After two painstaking years in the studio and nearly bankrupting their label Creation in the process, the group emerged with their masterpiece, which fulfilled all of the promise of their previous albums. If Isn't Anything was the Valentines' sonic blueprint, then Loveless saw those plans fleshed out, in the most literal sense: "Loomer," "What You Want," and "To Here Knows When"'s arrangements are so lush, they're practically tangible. With its voluptuous yet ethereal melodies and arrangements, Loveless intimates sensuality and sexuality instead of stating them explicitly; Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher's vocals meld perfectly with the trippy sonics around them, suggesting druggy sex or sexy drugs. From the commanding "Only Shallow" and "Come in Alone" to breathy reflections like "Sometimes" and "Blown a Wish," the album balances complexity and immediately memorable pop melodies with remarkable self-assurance, given its difficult creation. But Loveless doesn't just perfect the group's approach, it also hints at their continuing growth: "Soon" fuses the Valentines' roaring guitars with a dance-inspired beat, while the symphonic interlude "Touched" suggests an updated take on Fripp and Eno's pioneering guitar/electronics experiments. These glimpses into the band's evolution make Shields' difficulty in delivering a follow-up to Loveless even more frustrating, but completely understandable -- the album's perfection sounded shoegazing's death-knell and raised expectations for the next My Bloody Valentine album to unreasonably high levels. Though Shields' collaborations with Yo La Tengo, Primal Scream, J Mascis, and others were often rewarding, they were no match for Loveless. However, as My Bloody Valentine fans -- and, apparently, Shields himself -- will attest, nothing is.

5 comments:

Pernt said...

This is, hands down, my favorite album of all time. I was lucky enough to have a friend introduce me to "Loveless" early in 1992, when it was still in its infancy. "Soon" became my anthem for months afterward. To date, it's been a pivotal album in two other major shifts in my life. Distant, mysterious, thrilling, rapturous, unknowable, melancholy, triumphant... every note is perfect.

Anonymous said...

i was lucky enough to see them tour this as part of the rollercoaster tour with blur, dinasaur jr & jesus and mary chain .. what a line up..... it was the loudest gig ive ever heard to this day.

Anonymous said...

could you please re-up this post? many thank you's

Aid00 said...

Hello Anonymous New Link Up & Running

Anonymous said...

HAHAR YA RULZZZZ!!! thanx

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