everything is alive - Slowdive: Review

Slowdive

is one of the most legendary shoegaze bands of all time. The group's 1993 sophomore album Souvlaki is seen by many as the definitive album in the genre and considered one of shoegaze's "big three" alongside Ride's Nowhere and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. The band returned in 2017 after a 22 year hiatus with their 4th album, the self-titled Slowdive. The project was met with heaps of critical acclaim and now 6 years later they've returned with a 5th album.

Review by Lav: 

I love shoegaze, that's no secret. But even among the many shoegaze acts I covet Slowdive stands above them all. That obviously has a lot to do with their pioneering work across their first three albums painting dreamy layered motifs of sonic bliss on one song after another. But the band is no longer just a legacy act. In 2017 they returned with a stroke of absolute beauty on their comeback album Slowdive. The project featured creativity and beauty far beyond what you'd expect from a band so late in their career. Because of their ability to return as veteran songwriters while maintaining the incredible spark they had at their peak, I've been excited for new music from the band for years. 

While everything is alive may not be the same caliber of album as Slowdive it does serve up a compelling emotional experience leaning heavily into the band's age and experience. With stark whispered verses and less layers than ever the band sounds mature and reflective throughout. 

That was forecasted by the album's lead single kisses which I still like a good bit. It certainly isn't a revelation for Slowdive but it was a strong first single and it gets the second half of the album started off well. skin in the game came next and it was the single that really blew me away. It's still just plain incredible within the tracklist of the album. I love the transition from verse into chorus with such a gentle rise in the cloudy layers of guitars and the more direct vocals on the verses and title refrain. Those vocals are then replaced by such beautiful layers of angelic singing on the chorus, I just love every single thing about the song. 

That isn't the only highlight on the album either. It gets off to a very strong start, first with Shanty which is hushed but far from low impact. The quiet whispered verses give way to the dynamic synth loops on the instrumental bridges and the seas of guitars translate perfectly between them. It's such a meditative way to begin the album but it perfectly lowers me into the understated and often self-reflective world of the album. alife is the first song to inject a strong tangible energy into the album. The driving instrumental passages and beautiful burst into the hook makes for memorable moments throughout. While the vocals are still very much reserved for the background they're still more present here than elsewhere on the album. 

prayer remembered is an instrumental track that also pops up early on and doesn't stray too far from the sonic palette of the other songs. I'll say the layers are less obvious until the track's final minute and the very post-rocky progression of it all gives the song a sunnier vibe than much of what else is here. chained to a cloud comes later and I've enjoyed the song more and more every time I hear it. The length really doesn't bother me because I love the two distinct journeys it goes on. The second half in particular is absolutely wonderful with a stark key phrase that transitions back into a fully fleshed-out son in excellent fashion. 

Unfortunately, it isn't all highlights. The third single the slab was my least favorite and it makes for a kind of underwhelming closing track. The progression and refrains on the project leave a good bit to be desired and while it doesn't sound bad it doesn't really do anything to grab me. That flatness is made worse by its placement as the closer. My least favorite song on the album is andalucia plays which is unfortunately also one of the longest tracks here. It's a pretty substantial leaning into the skeletal mixing and performance experiment of the record. There are moments on the track whose simple guitar passages and vocals almost feel too clear and stripped down to be on an actual Slowdive song. I can't say it's a sound I'm crazy about or one that I think the band is particularly well-equipped for. 

everything is alive is the first album where Slowdive really feel like veterans and that is by no means a bad thing. The blissful layers of sound slowly begin to get peeled back but what's underneath is often just as emotive and even more honest. While nothing here is quite as imaginatively blissful as songs like No Longer Making Time and Star Roving or even Allison and When The Sun Hits, they do consistently paint the picture of a band who has learned to do more with less and is still operating above many of their contemporaries. 7.5/10

For more great 90s bands check out my review of Blur's The Ballad Of Darren