Review Summary: A timeless gem that sounds just as incredible as its cover looks.
Gorgeous, fuzzy, utopian. Uninviting, abrasive and dystopian. Either collective of descriptors can be applied to Loveless, but one thing that My Bloody Valentine’s 1991 opus embodies is shoegaze at its peak, in all its bizarre and wondrous glory. The record is intriguing yet pyroclastic, warm yet icy cold, pink yet dark - it’s as visual an experience as it is an auditory trip.
My Bloody Valentine started off innocently enough, a young band of Brits citing acts such as Sonic Youth as core influences and releasing playful yet atmospheric tunes on their unremarkable EP’s. However, if their debut LP, Isn’t Anything, was anything to go by, shoegaze was soon in for a major upgrade. And that upgrade came swiftly; in 1991, Kevin Shields made the costly decision to release Loveless, an album whose production had a price tag of up to $500,000. But what an investment it turned out to be - Loveless is a timeless record. Upping the distortion and atmosphere from their previous records, MBV combined every paradox in the book to concoct an infinitely paradoxical masterpiece - even its title is evidence of this. What’s not to love about Loveless?
Opener
Only Shallow still stands as not only one of the strongest openers of the 1990’s, but one of the strongest songs of that incredible decade. In a mere 5 seconds, the song asserts its authority with a galloping drum intro and guitar harmonies that spiral inward and outward like an eternal double helix. The vocals are as abstract as the music, bleeding into a wall of sound that is incredibly difficult to dissect into its individual parts, and that’s what makes Loveless so lovely - everything is cut from the same sonic cloth; every single moment is meant to be where it is; every second is used flawlessly.
And the production? Remember the $500,000 price tag? Yep, it’s worth every penny. Featuring oceans of reverb, swirling melodies and an atmosphere drenched with tranquil paranoia, Loveless’ amalgamation of arena-filling anthems and psychedelic fuzz is nothing short of captivating. On one hand you have immediately accessible staples such as the aforementioned
Only Shallow, the frivolous
When You Sleep, and the charismatic stomp of
Come In Alone. On the other end of the spectrum, you have dense and poignant hymns such as the gorgeous Loomer, the cataclysmic
I Only Said, and the immortal
Sometimes - a track whose simplicity accentuates its utter magnificence. Yet the pinnacle of the record is reached at the very end, when
Soon emerges - a 7-minute shoegaze treasure, this masterpiece represents the album’s strongest virtues and traits; a perfect dream pop song beaten into the ground with a sledgehammer of reverb, atmosphere, fuzz, dissonance and feedback.
Contrary to its title, Loveless is a record that is very easy to be loved; not just admired because of its meticulous production, but also enjoyed because of its genuine catchiness and mellifluence. However, like its title, it is a dark, acidic and dreary experience that is equally uplifting - hence the cover’s juxtaposition of raspberry pink and velvety black. As you can see I’m clearly failing to describe Loveless - words can simply not do it justice. You’ll just have to plug in your best headphones, close your eyes, and let this album do the rest.
