Review: Loveless

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine (1991)

Expectations: To be honest, I really thought I was going to adore this album. I don't have all that much experience with Shoegaze as a genre; however, the small amount of it I've heard I have liked, and this albums themes seemed right up my artistic alley. Anyway, what I expected was an album that was the quintessence of Shoegaze, the inspiration that every future sound would try and capture. What I got though was... well, probably what I should have expected since it's right there on the album cover. I got something I have heard a million times, but with a negative color pallet. You can almost make out the sound, but right when you think you've got it, you realize it was something different.

         Perhaps I would view this album more favorably if I did not have any expectations for it, and maybe after listening to it more in the future I will determine that I like it a lot more than I do now; however, as it stands this album ended up feeling a bit underwhelming to me. That isn't to say that I dislike the album rather that, in comparison to how much I thought I was going to love it, I feel very mixed.

Review: My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" is undeniably an incredibly innovative album, I mean come on it is the progenitor of the entire Shoegaze genre, not many albums can lay claim to birthing an entire genre of music. Still, there were a lot of things I didn't like about the album. For starters, the album is incredibly repetitive to the point where it almost feels as though it is an intentional motif. Say what you will, I think it takes a lot to make "repetitive" good, and this just wasn't it for me. The songs themselves are pretty generic rock and pop songs for the most part that go on just a bit too long for my liking, the chord progressions and melodies get really samey, and a lot of the album just ends up blending together. I don't think I am saying anything new though, as the true draw of "Loveless" is in how the songs are manipulated into something very different.

         I have to admit, some of these tracks sound brilliant when they are distorted in one way or another. This is really what makes the album special, and is the reason I wanted to listen to the album again once I had finished it. I think though that the distortion was only able to elevate a few tracks above their unadulterated generic state. In the end I think this album was built a bit too much around its gimmick and when the gimmick wasn't as successful, didn't have enough substance without it to be something I really loved. This really disappoints me too, since when it all comes together it creates a sound that's so beautiful and unique, and that unfortunately I may never hear again outside of this album.

Standout Tracks:

When you Sleep: This was my favorite generic "pop/rock" track of the bunch for sure. It has a really nice chord progression that serves the distortion very well in my opinion. I don't have much to say about it other than I really liked it, a super solid track.

Sometimes: An easy 6/6 track for me. Standalone this was far and away my favorite track on the album. The distortion works so well with the airy acoustics, I really just feel like I'm in another world when I listen to this track. It also serves as a really unique track within the album as a whole, taking a break from the generic pop/rock stuff. This track alone makes me want to re-listen to the album as a whole, since it's sadly not as good as a standalone track as it is in the context of the album as a whole.

What you want: Another brilliant track. I love the way an almost grungy song bounces so colorfully on the ears. The last minute of chirping too really contrasts the whole album well with some clarity to cut through the noise.

Recommendation: I recommend this album first and foremost to anyone who is a huge fan of the Shoegaze genre. This is where it all started, and I think most people will learn a lot about the genre through this album.

I recommend this album as well to anyone who wants to listen to something a bit odd. I haven't really heard anything quite like this album in my life to be honest, and I'm not sure I ever will since modern Shoegaze from my experience resembles this music very little aside from it being "distorted" and all.

As well I think if you're on the fence you should just check it out! There is definitely a good chance you will not like this album; however, it's a sound you probably haven't heard before if you haven't listened to this album. You don't have much to lose with a 45 minute album, and who knows, you may really love it.I am sure to listen to this album many times throughout the year to get a better grasp on my feelings for it, and could see myself really vibing with this album after more listens. I'll update you guys if my feelings change. I just have to make sure not to get swayed too much by the tracks I already love.

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And those are my thoughts on Loveless! I have some more free time so hopefully I will get out my review on Amelie soon, but no promises.

Until next time!

- Malachi