After being absent from the music scene for the past 22 years, My Bloody Valentine
has returned and have released some new material.The newest album "mbv" keeps the
same aesthetic of the band, maxed up guitar distortion, soft sonic vocals and a unique
atmosphere of spacey electronic rock. Yet, throughout the record you sense that they
are trying to expand their sound. The opening track "She Found Now" starts with lush
guitar distortion and echoed vocals that create a vague beauty and ghostly haunting. The
second track "Only Tomorrow" hits the ears with heavier rock as the guitar takes center
stage throughout the songs progression, getting livelier riffs and solo's as the song comes
to a close. Other tracks like "In Another Way" and "Nothing Is" use heavy drumbeats
and repetitive rock riffs to show the band's true 90's rock influence and power. However,
they still have some experimental tricks up their sleeve. Songs like "Is This and Yes" is
a five-minute, practically no vocal homage to the synthesizer. The closing track "Wonder
2" uses fast drums and sonic guitar effects that are so distorted and reverbed that you
can't tell how often the players are even strumming or playing the guitar. While the
album tracks can get repetitive and lengthy and the lyrics to each song incredibly vague,
the latest installment in My Bloody Valentine's discography is a welcome back to a band
who truly has a lot more great music to share.
Rec Tracks: She Found Now, Only Tomorrow, Who Sees You, New You, In Another
Way, Wonder 2
Listen if you like: Yuck, Sonic Youth, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Pavement, The
War on Drugs