REVIEWS
Album review: My Bloody Valentine, m b v
06 February 2013
Shoegaze is all the rage at the moment. Spawned from the chillwave genre that hit the radio-air-waves in 2010, it has seen countless rock bands attach whammy bars to their guitars, use a hefty amount of reverb and write songs about shoegazing. My Bloody Valentine are the latest in a long line of acts to adopt this sound. With their name a clever cross between fellow shoegazers My Chemical Romance and Bullet For My Valentine, it appears that singer Kevin Shields has the right idea, but the production doesn't really hold up against efforts by fellow shoegazers Wavves or Tame Impala.
First off, the vocals are way too buried, with some of the guitars being way too loud for any enjoyment. I'd hate to see how this comes off live; with the loud guitar volumes and reliance on reverb, I cannot imagine how this album would translate.
Secondly, there was no lyric sheet with the album, which is fine if one can hear the words, but shoegazers won't have a hope of singing along.
Thirdly, the mastering seems to have been comprised, with a woozy quality suggesting that somebody left the master tape on the dashboard of a car in the sun. Sloppy, and disappointing. Then again, without a major label attached to this release, such issues can happen.
Fourthly, the cover art seems to be blurry and lo-res, which actually matches the music, luckily.
A fun record but ultimately forgettable. Maybe if this band can attract a name producer such as Bob Rock or Gotye, they will be a success.
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