Souvlaki

Sounding as if just might be emerging from an eternal realm, a place altogether universal in its breadth, and where time remains forever paused, “SloMo” from Slowdive’s 2017 self-titled release, is a cyclical, mantric, composition that promotes a real sense of timeless, everlasting return, an extension and refinement of everything that worked best on their sophomore outing, “Souvlaki”, released in 1993. “Souvlaki” is a recording that’s exercised an enormous influence over many of the groups identifying as bands operating within the present-day shoegazing scene, one that created shimmering, meditative soundscapes possessed by an almost ethereal beauty, and sense of dreamlike enchantment, and ranks only behind My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” as the genre’s most universally acclaimed recording. Slowdive rubbed shoulders with Ride and My Bloody Valentine, emerging contemporaneously alongside of them, each of them releasing a seminal recording that when considered together are recognized as shoegazing’s definitive releases; “Loveless”, dropped by My Bloody Valentine in late ‘91; “Souvlaki” itself, in early ‘93, and Ride’s “Nowhere”, in the fall of 1990. “Loveless” revolves around the singular, heavily-textured guitar tones chased and captured by Kevin Shields, a sound characterized by a swirling directionality and an enormous dynamic range, more than periodically climbing from a level plateau to sustained explosiveness. “Nowhere” was a baroque masterpiece defined by a subversive approach toward blending pop melodies with the controlled burn of effects pedals being deployed within a zone of precise and tuneful control, landing just a little more on the quiescent side than the aggressive, yet still with a muscular presence, and progress in the most straightforward, conventional direction out of each of these releases. “Souvlaki”, however, merges the characteristic sound of both bands into one of their own, with distinctive wrinkles that loom large even as they appear as small touches, creating songscapes that are lush, saturating, and compelling within a sense of delicate intensity. Typical instrumentation universally associated with conventionally arranged songs that unfold in a linear fashion are present here on “Souvlaki”. ; bass, guitar, drums, and keyboard; yet they’re not emerging either with the massive, miasmic riffs that characterize “Loveless”, or the jangling, slightly cascading, gentle overwash of guitar-driven sound run with judicious restraint through an effects rack and smartly bracketed by a crisply-executed, lockstep percussive groove so emblematic of Ride’s, but a suggestive, textural, gently cocooning mosaic of atmospheric guitar not so much undergirded by actively-engaged, timekeeping percussion as seamlessly integrating with it until it stretches out and blends into a frequently gorgeous, wistful, and diaphanous envelope of sound, languid and shimmering, the balance weighing much more into the quiescent end of the dynamic range as opposed to the aggressive, swelling much more frequently in amplitude rather than magnitude. “Souvlaki Space Station” , “Allison”, “Machine Gun”, "40 Days" “When The Sun Hits”, and ‘Dagger”are the most notable tracks, but the release overall seems to be just a bit more seamless than “Loveless” or “Nowhere”. Severe critical backlash from Britian's trendy, notoriously fickle music press (who'd just "discovered" Britpop) was astounding in its snottily derisive ferocity, and helped work to undermine the success of “Souvlaki” , the band gaining minimal support from its label, and hampering general public awareness in a manner that prevented it from becoming a radio-friendly unit shifter. “Souvlaki”’s reputation was rehabilitated during the following decade, as bands recording as nu-gaze outfits followed its formative blueprint, causing critics to take a long and considered second look at it, retrospectively declaring that it was shoegazing’s lost classic, a re-evaluation that caused it to receive almost universal acclaim, rated just behind “Loveless” in its impact and influence, and led to the band’s reformation during the following decade, their self-titled 2017 release acclaimed as not only a superlative return to form that extended and refined their sound, but a jaw-dropping marvel, acclaimed as an instant classic. I was 21 when My Bloody Valentine released “Isn’t Anything, which served as a primer for the entire shoegazing genre and bought it shortly afterward, and because that genre was the first one to emerge during my adulthood I paid special attention to both the bands that were considered part of that movement, and the releases they dropped. Please believe me when I say that “Souvlaki” deserves all of the attention and acclaim that it’s now deservedly receiving, and to grab a copy for yourself and find out why.

Shoegazing has never caught a break and critics of the time turned their noses to a genre that produced some of the most peaceful and dreamy music ever to grace our ears. You don't have to be high to enjoy this dreamy shoegaze in top form as it relaxes your senses and soothes your being. The only album I have found to even possibly challenge the album Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, but it still doesn't beat that album. Most certainly top three material of the shoegaze genre that is a must have for anyone needing to broaden their music collection or collection of this genre. Sad to see this album fly under the radar so bad. 1)Alison-12/10-One of the best songs ever written in music...period. This song has such a nostalgic appeal to it that takes my mind to surreal places. The reverb-washed guitar in the background squealing out those high pitches sends chills down me every time. This song was definitely conceived under drug use, which the band admits proudly and will forever be one of the best stoner songs. 2)Machine Gun-9.5/10 One of my favorite songs on the album, Machine Gun has a very spacey vocal arrangement where they seem almost fragile enough to break. One of those songs that will give you a mental high if you lose yourself in it. 3)40 Days -7.5/10-The weakest song on the album, this song with its strange horn like effect at the beginning is still quite nice but skip-able. 4)Sing-8/10-A nice little upbeat song. Pretty effects, but not memorable. 5)Here She Comes-9/10-Twangy in a reverb way this is like a shoegaze western song come to life. Slowdive really knows what their doing with their instruments. 6) Soulvaki Space Station-9/10-Perfect representation of what you think space music would sound like, followed every now and then by an indistinct female vocal. A very good and accomplished instrumental otherwise. Memorable. 7)When The Sun Hits-10/10-Possibly my second favorite song on the album, this song catches me with its guitar riff that paves the path for Halstead's droning voice that is not showy nor amazing, but perfect for shoegaze as it carries on like a beautiful note being sustained. This song is one that will grow on you. 8)Altogether-8/10-Though skippable, this song is still better than 40 Days and the guitar retains its place on the album. Sort of a filler track. 9)Melon Yellow-9.5/10-Halstead blends the dynamics of vocals perfectly with the guitar which share a similar effect of phasing into volume and giving the song an echoing effect. Definitely an album highlight. 10)Dagger-10/10-A simple song, yet one of the best ballads. Only a guitar and vocals, Dagger pierces you with its hook-ridden vocals and beautiful down-tuned chord progression. A testament to good album closers and simple, yet powerful songs.

The first time I listened to this album I didn't liked it, but after a year I decided to give it another opportunity and it became my favorite Shoegaze album.

Tutte perfetto

Um clássico, albums como Souvlaki jamais serão duplicados, independente do quanto são imitados!

Perfect!

No podía dejar pasar tener en mi colección este album que tanto he disfrutado, y el CD no era suficiente para mi. La calidad es top. Viene bien empacado para evitar accidentes en su manejo.

i really liked the sound of this vinyl, it was so crisp and authentic sounding, it came perfectly and is my fave