everything is alive by Slowdive

The dream of the 90s is alive here at #28 on the Bacon Review. Slowdive are an English band that formed in 1989 and released a couple of fantastic shoegaze albums before imploding after the release of their third album in 1995. 19 years later, they reformed, toured around the globe, wrote and eventually released their fourth album in 2017. And now, with the release of everything is alive, they’re back to their original glory, proving they know better than anyone else what shoegaze is all about.

The five piece started working on the album just as the pandemic hit in March 2020, and were forced to put things on hold during the lockdown. The band suffered greatly during the early months of the pandemic, with two members losing parents to COVID-related illness. The music shifted throughout that time, effectively turning into an escape for the band to weather the storm. After many emotional ups and downs, the album finally saw release on September 1st to much critical acclaim.

When you’re looking for music that can survive while played in the background, adding to rather than getting lost in what is happening in the foreground, then Slowdive is where you should turn. everything is alive is well worth listening to, and if you’re not familiar with the shoegaze label, it’s as great a spot to start as any.