After being hailed as shoegaze pioneers in the early 1990s, a mix of subsequent critical brickbats, the onset of Britpop and being dropped by Creation Records ensured that Slowdive’s young career was over by the middle of the decade. The original lineup reactivated in 2017 having been discovered by a new generation, and simply picked up where they left off.
This second album of their second phase continues to do pretty much the same as they’ve ever done, but is all the lovelier for it. There are trademark washes of guitar noise and echo, and songs that judiciously sculpt Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead’s quiet voices on the precipice between melancholy and ecstasy. Prayer Remembered is a hauntingly beautiful instrumental; Chained to a Cloud builds around an electronic loop to emerge sounding sepulchral and hymnal. The exquisite Kisses could be a classic early New Order single reimagined through a dream-pop haze, while The Slab would make a brooding partner to Mogwai’s outstanding Les Revenants soundtrack.
The production values are higher than in the 1990s – there are some electronics now, and the band’s experience means they’re able to really craft a tune and finesse a song idea. Most of the lyrics are enigmatic and indecipherable, but the album is dedicated to Goswell’s mother and drummer Simon Scott’s father, who both died in 2020, and the title possibly reflects a quiet determination to stay positive. Either way, the band deserve much credit for sticking to their guns and proving a lot of people wrong.
