SLOWDIVE is the self titled album by Slowdive released in 2017. But is it good?
So Slowdive as a band pretty much dissolved after their third album Pygmalion was released in 1995- Simon Scott, the drummer for the band for the bulk of their studio career had left, they were losing fans, the press hated them and people just weren't showing up to shows, so the band collapsed. The members all went off to do other things, with principle songwriters Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell forming Mojave 3, and other members doing their own things too. In the mid 2010s, the band started playing shows again, with the original line up- more than 20 years after the band originally formed. They then went back to the studio to release and record 2017's SLOWDIVE, which is what we're here to talk about today.
So the record opens with SLOMO, and you can kind of guess how the track is going to be with a 7 minute runtime and that name. It feels like the band reintroducing themselves- the delayed guitars with the sequenced beat and sparse bass make it feel incredibly space-y and ethereal- and when the vocals come in this feeling is only increased with Neil and Rachel singing "give me your heart" to each other. The track builds in a brilliant way with lots of different elements in the track that all come together to make a brilliant opener.
STAR ROVING calls back to some of their earlier work with this heavy but still out of reach guitar work and a real energy to the track with some great drumming too. It really feels like you're hurtling through space while listening to the songs, and Halstead's lyrics are brilliantly evocative. Definitely a good single to drop first after 22 years of inactivity. It was also on the FIFA 18 soundtrack, for whatever that's worth.
DON'T KNOW WHY is the third cut on the record and comes out the gates with a fairly upbeat attitude and Rachel's vocals are just gorgeous- they've definitely aged but still retain an ethereal, timeless and youthful quality recognisable from the 90's. Halstead's vocals are definitely more low key, but serve as a good contrast to the out-of-reach and fleeting choruses. Solid track.
SUGAR FOR THE PILL is one of the less essential cuts on the tracklist. Despite it's solid bassline, it feels like the band playing it relatively safe- the last minute or so is pretty good but it doesnt come across as nearly impactful as other tracks. EVERYONE KNOWS is a return to quality with some acoustic guitar, some 80's-esque synths before a wall of noise eats up the whole track. Rachel's vocals are immediately soothing and convey this utter serenity that carry the track from start to finish.
NO LONGER MAKING TIME is another highlight on the record- it's structure calls back Slowdive classic When The Sun Hits, but manages to be it's own song still. The lyrics have this feeling of regret and nostalgia- and when the chorus hits with the full band it just goes off. The vocals remain under the whole wall of noise part which makes them feel even more isolated and alone. Great track.
Penultimate track GO GET IT is a less interesting cut on the tracklist. It's got a pretty dark and moody atmosphere in the verses, but then the chorus just sort of arrives unannounced- it's not a bad track, but most of the lyrics in the verses are entirely indecipherable- even by Slowdive standards- and the call and response chorus isn't really anything to ride home about either.
Closer FALLING ASHES starts with this melancholy piano arpeggio that's haunted in the mix by these discordant and homeless sounding bits of instrumentation. They eventually start to coalesce to allow Neil and Rachel to duet, singing these lyrics that sound vaguely about death. The track remains fairly sparse, the keys are occasionally joined by guitar parts, until the lyrics just become entirely "thinking about love, thinking about love" looped over and over, on top of these humming and whirring ambient droney soundscapes. It's a remarkably restrained and melancholy way to end the record, and stands out as easily one of Slowdive's most unique songs.
So it's safe to say that Slowdive is a band still capable of producing some solid tunes this late into their careers- and with a new album currently in production, I can only sit and wait in anticipation of what's coming next.
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I've also gone and listened to some of Slowdive's other records since Souvlaki of course, so I'll do a quick mini review for each.
Just for a day is alright. I don't like the opener very much at all, but the closer is very very good. Pygmalion may well be a good album but I wouldn't know. Rutti being a 10 minute opener as boring as it is followed by the mind numbing 6 minute Crazy For You seal the deal, really. I actually have the misfortune of owning this album- I intended to buy Souvlaki, but all the record store had was a box set of JFAD, souvlaki and pygmalion. So, there you have it.
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