Late Review: My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless'

Would you listen to a music genre called "shoe-gazing?"

Aside from the peculiar name, shoe-gazing can be described as an off-brand, British version of indie rock and alternative rock that emerged in the 1980s. Pioneering the sound, My Bloody Valentine's music projects provided musicians and artists templates to start from, reaching peak critical success with the album Loveless, released in 1991.

Loveless' production/recording cycle was rather odd. After spending two years trying to perfect and cultivate a new sound, with main vocalist Kevin Shields leading rigorous recording sessions, Loveless came out after three years from the previous project. Recording and re-recording sessions bogged down the process, while moving sessions from studio to studio did not help much as well.

It received critical praise and acclaim a short time after its release. To the average listener, it may seem odd and very distorted when listening for the first time.

Vocals are hard to hear, multiple guitar tracks are laid on top of each other and there are sounds that can only be described as "machine-made" in the background. All these qualities capture the essence of shoe-gazing.

Multiple modulations were made to acquire Loveless' specific sound (tremolo bar, preamps, parametric equalizers, etc.)

The opening track, "Only Shallow," starts the album off with the listed characteristics. Although the single parts of the song may sound just like a handful noise, together these parts flow seamlessly. It proves a solid introduction to listeners on what to expect within the album.

The next two tracks, "Loomer" and "Touched" are the beginning of the two shortest songs on the album. Though separate, the almost sound as if they were once accompanied with each other at some point. Apart from the few seconds in the beginning, these two songs are mainly composed of instrumentals and the aforementioned guitar tracks.

"To Here Knows When" remains to be the black sheep out of the album. Its pacing is off. Its vocals are even more distorted, the guitar is even further along with some riffs being heavily produced. Alongside with the ending track, "Soon," these two songs' uses of samples helped redefine the pop sound as a reference track.

With the next pair of songs (which both happen to be a personal favorite) of "When You Sleep" and "I Only Said," the commercial appeal reveals itself. The riffs become more clear along with the lyrics and yet there seems to be an added factor when it comes to these songs. The extra production draws you in and provides a sense a rhythm, a sense of melody.

Midway through the album and the introductory sounds persist with "Come in Alone." It's juxtaposition with the proceeding track "Sometimes" show the artistry in play. A grunge cut almost, with a deep bass riff and a light acoustic overlaying it, "Sometimes" has haunting lyrics that play off well.

The last three tracks of the album: "Blown A Wish," "What You Want," and "Soon" are a great combination of genres to provide a solid conclusion. The sample-heavy tracks of "Blown A Wish" and "Soon" surround the distorted-heavy track of "What You Want" and provide a much-needed break to the average listener.

After the release, tensions within My Bloody Valentine rose and the break-up was inevitable. No serious project was released until 2013, 16 years later.

With mostly instrumental sections and distorted lyrics in the songs that alone sound too much to listen to, Loveless just so happened to influence some of the famous musicians coming out of the United Kingdom and beyond. Members of the Cure, the Clash and the Smashing Pumpkins all have pointed to Loveless as an influence and as music in their libraries.

Music (among the rest of the arts) is purely subjective. Every single person has their own personal taste. This doesn't mean that appreciation for the art behind something you personally don't like can't be shown.

Loveless is definitely an acquired taste, but if given the chance, you may find yourself listening along as well.

Rating: 9.3/10

*Loveless and My Bloody Valentine's other works can be found on most streaming platforms.*

**If you are interested in listening to other artists within the shoe-gazing genre, please check out the works of Ride and Slowdive.**