SLOWDIVE Everything Is Alive
( Dead Oceans )
While the heady days of the shoegaze movement came to a climax with My Bloody Valentine ' s epochal 1991 album Loveless , shoegaze was quickly snuffed out stateside with the popularity of grunge . Overseas , the subgenre had a longer lifespan , spawning many great bands like Ride , Swervedriver , The Boo Radleys and Slowdive . The term “ shoegaze ” referred to the use of so many effects pedals that the guitarists would often look downward at their feet instead of out to the audience . While the sound never quite took hold in the States , Smashing Pumpkins did utilize the style to dizzying effect on their breakthrough 1993 album Siamese Dream , while Tame Impala has often toyed with the sound throughout their career . Another issue that the shoegaze bands had was their wild inconsistency , with many of the bands taking years and even decades between album releases . While Loveless found My Bloody Valentine on the verge of a global breakthrough , they squandered that momentum by waiting a whopping 22 years to release the follow-up . Very similarly , England ’ s Slowdive released three albums in the early ' 90s , and as they flirted with stardom … they also took 22 years to release a follow-up ! Though they remained active under the banner Mojave 3 , releasing more country-tinged material , they returned in 2014 for the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona , and that spawned dozens of more tour dates around the world . Something unique and exciting happens when Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead ’ s voices merge , usually floating above the beautiful layers of gauzy electric guitars . Their second album post-hiatus , Everything Is Alive pulsates with an electronic vibe that began as Neil ’ s 2019 demos written largely on modular synthesizers . The sessions were then thrown off track with the loss of multiple family members and subsequent dalliances with substance abuse . When the band reconvened , they decided to add a little levity to the dark electronic soundscapes , which certainly helps Everything Is Alive from being a downer . The album sounds huge and vibrant , with “ Kisses ” and “ Alife ” both offering head-rush pop melodies amidst the dense electronic soundscape of the sprawling opening track “ Shanty .” The results are undeniably modern while also referencing the woozy shoegaze sound that was their calling card three decades ago . Here ’ s to hoping that it ’ s not another 22-year wait for the follow-up .
– Andy Derer
7
STEELY DAN
Aja Reissue LP ( Geffen / UMe )
After more than 40 years , Steely Dan ’ s meticulous jazz-rock album Aja returns to vinyl , with remastered audio overseen by keyboardist and singer Donald Fagen . The 1977 album arrives in gatefold packaging on 180-gram vinyl , with a limited super-audiophile 45RPM pressing also available . The set includes “ Peg ” and “ Josie ,” which were included on the band ’ s Gold-selling Greatest Hits album and remain staples of surviving member Fagen ’ s sets with the band . The album ’ s seven songs find Fagen and partner Walter Becker at peak refinement , delivering memorable tunes with the careful craftsmanship and perfectionism that made the pair both famous and infamous . Audio engineer Lenise Bent has described the countless hours she spent punching in take after take of the two-note pickup harmonies leading into the chorus of the bluesy “ Home at Last .” It ’ s hard to argue with the results , though . The album became the band ’ s top seller , produced three Top 40 hits , won a Grammy , and landed on many best-of-year lists . During the recording of Aja , Becker and Fagan had ceased touring in favor of studio work . Dozens of respected players helped to complete Aja after a year
16 illinoisentertainer . com november 2023