Slowdive - Souvlaki (Album Review)

 

Slowdive - Souvlaki

(1993)


My copy: 2011 reissue by Music On Vinyl.


Souvlaki is Slowdive’s sophomore full-length release, and is typically lauded as one of the three most famous shoegaze albums of all time (alongside My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and Ride’s Nowhere). Not quite as dense as Loveless yet more ethereal and layered than Nowhere, Souvlaki sits delicately between dream-pop and heavy shoegaze. 

“Alison” is proof that Slowdive are also disciples of psychedelia as the density of the distorted guitar is undercut by twirling flanger and tambourine. The rhythm section is a bit more lively than other shoegaze releases, giving Slowdive an edge especially in regards to the drums. “Machine Gun” slows the tempo for a piece of sensual dream pop in which Rachel Goswell’s vocals lull the listener on top of bobbing synths. Heavy bass and guitar immediately bombard the ears on “40 Days” before the catchy chorus takes control. The use of reverse reverb and delay is more akin to the pop stylings of Cocteau Twins than to MBV’s occasionally harrowing soundscapes. 

  “Sing” is an atmospheric myriad of harmonics and watery guitar sounds that received writing contributions from the one and only Brian Eno. It makes sense that Eno was involved in this song in particular, as it begins as a patchwork of ambiance before cleverly building layers of rhythm until a more traditional song appears. Unfortunately, while Eno also contributed to “Here She Comes” it stands as one of the most boring tracks on the record, with embarrassing use of hand drums. The B-side kicks off with the best track on the album: the masterpiece of syncopation that is “Souvlaki Space Station.” Eerie melodies are delayed into the vacuum of space as the drums pop and fade like blinking lights; Goswell’s obscured vocals shimmer overhead like a shooting star as the bass holds the structure together.  

More subtle guitar ambiance surfaces on “When The Sun Hits” until the chorus bursts forward with distortion like a predator patiently stalking its prey. “Altogether” and “Melon Yellow” are mostly boring songs with sleepy albeit intricately crafted atmospheres. “Dagger” feels like Slowdive’s answer to MBV’s “Sometimes” except singer Neil Halstead ditches the guitar effects entirely for this acoustic guitar and piano ballad. The intimacy of this final love song is well received, and is more genuine and moving than the other slow songs on the record. 

Souvlaki isn’t concerned with providing a completely otherworldly experience, rather it focuses more on catchy vocal melodies with lyrics that are far less obscured. There is a great deal of pop appeal to the songs on this record, with “Souvlaki Space Station” being the major standout for being more abrasive. Souvlaki is a shoegaze record with more focus on emotion, that seeks to move listeners with its writing more than the production and sound. While a truly great record, Souvlaki is not quite the pinnacle of shoegaze for its reluctance to push the sound forward.

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