Loveless Review: A Wall of Beautiful Noise
9.5/10 — My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
Pros
- Unique, immersive guitar sound
- 'Only Shallow' and 'Soon'
- Dreamy vocals
Cons
- Buried vocals
- Overwhelming density
Loveless took over two years to make and nearly bankrupted its label, Creation Records. Kevin Shields layered guitars with vast amounts of reverb and tremolo-arm bends.
What works
‘Only Shallow’, ‘When You Sleep’ and ‘Soon’ are lush, heady and strangely tender, and the sound is unlike anything else. Bilinda Butcher’s whispered vocals blend into the guitars like another instrument.
Where it falters
The vocals are buried and the lyrics unintelligible, and the sonic wash can be overwhelming.
Verdict
A gorgeous, immersive album that defined a genre.
