Spiritualized Archives - Hot Pop Today Hot Pop Today Tue, 21 May 2019 06:52:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 10 Shoegaze Albums that Define the Genre https://hotpoptoday.com/10-shoegaze-albums-that-define-the-genre/ Tue, 21 May 2019 06:45:39 +0000 https://hotpoptoday.com/?p=1302 For those of you who are still wondering what exactly the mysterious “shoegaze” is, here are ten albums which beautifully encapsulate the genre. Shoegaze is a sub-genre of indie rock, often referred to as “dream pop” laden with heavy effects, spacey sounds and neo-psychedelia. The name was coined from the observation that bands of the […]

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]]> For those of you who are still wondering what exactly the mysterious “shoegaze” is, here are ten albums which beautifully encapsulate the genre. Shoegaze is a sub-genre of indie rock, often referred to as “dream pop” laden with heavy effects, spacey sounds and neo-psychedelia. The name was coined from the observation that bands of the genre tended to perform on stage detached from the audience, enthralled in the music and yes… gazed at their shoes.

Psychocandy, The Jesus and Marychain

A shoegaze album that came out before the 90s and the public rise of the genre. Dark and grungy guitar effects combine with dreamier lyrics and melodies to create an album which deeply influenced many shoegaze artists to come.

Loveless, My Bloody Valentine

Loveless is an iconic shoegaze album, with a romantic, psychedelic feel and bittersweet melodies.

Souvlaki, Slowdive

Souvlaki is an album to lose yourself to this summer. The guitar effects drift off into the air and carry you with it.

Methodrone, The Bryan Jonestown Massacre

For more rocky, heavier psychedelia.

Lush, Gala

An important part of the shoegaze cannon.

Mescal Head, Swervedriver

A little less dreamy and a little more foreceful. A shoegaze album which rocks hard.

Third Wave, The Telescopes

Very trippy, sometimes creepy and a unique and beautifully chaotic shoegaze album from the 21st century.

Ride, Nowhere

An absolute masterpiece rich with dark and ethereal sounds.

In Ribbons, Pale Saints

Pale Saints’ second album was ranked on the Top 50 Shoegaze albums of all time by Pitchfork.

Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space, Spiritualized 

A beautifully dreamy album which tells the story of a love and loss that is both deeply personal and romantic as well as detached and surreal.

The post 10 Shoegaze Albums that Define the Genre appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

]]> Spiritualized “And Nothing Hurt” Album Review https://hotpoptoday.com/spiritualized-and-nothing-hurt-album-review/ Sun, 30 Sep 2018 07:43:23 +0000 https://hotpoptoday.com/?p=2077 And Nothing Hurt is James Pierce’s 8th album as Spiritualized, which is now a solo project. He worked on the album almost completely alone using his laptop. All the soundscapes, string arrangements, and complex rhythms and guitar parts are all put together by a man alone in a room. Recording an album in this way is […]

The post Spiritualized “And Nothing Hurt” Album Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

]]> And Nothing Hurt is James Pierce’s 8th album as Spiritualized, which is now a solo project. He worked on the album almost completely alone using his laptop. All the soundscapes, string arrangements, and complex rhythms and guitar parts are all put together by a man alone in a room. Recording an album in this way is ridiculously difficult but it most definitely paid off.

There is something richly human about And Nothing Hurt. Spiritualized tells the story of life and all its little details – its love and its pain – through music. This latest album does this better than ever. There’s no self-pity on this record, it’s an honest confession that life can bring pain but it also admits you can emerge unscathed, in love and smiling.

“Janey said she had a problem with the modern world / All the boys she ever loved are with another girl” he sings in ‘The Morning after’. His advice is: “Don’t call the morning after
Won’t stop the pain and laughter / Won’t help to pass the blame / you gotta take the pain /
You gotta give it all away and you have gotta go”.

Essentially, you can’t let the modern world get you down, you must take the pain then “give it all away”. This uplifting message can be heard in the music, which sounds far more optimistic than some of Spiritualized’s previous albums. There is still a sadness to it but the guitar riffs and upbeat percussion in tracks like “Here It Comes (The Road) Let’s Go” lift the album from something which makes you want to wallow to something which inspires.

“Let’s Dance” is a great track which can’t help but evoke memories of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. It’s both sickeningly sweet and deadly cynical at the same time. There’s no need to try and get your head around the mixed emotions though, Pierce instead suggests “let’s dance”. Then cue the strange space rock sounds.

Overall, And Nothing Hurt is beautifully honest and is entirely consistent with the Spiritualized sound fans have grown to love while also bringing us something new. The modern world can be a frighteningly confusing place but this is an album that can help you follow Pierce’s advice and take the pain then “give it all away”. It’s an album to embrace love and life to.

4/5

The post Spiritualized “And Nothing Hurt” Album Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

]]> ersion="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> Spiritualized Archives - Hot Pop Today Hot Pop Today Tue, 21 May 2019 06:52:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 10 Shoegaze Albums that Define the Genre https://hotpoptoday.com/10-shoegaze-albums-that-define-the-genre/ Tue, 21 May 2019 06:45:39 +0000 https://hotpoptoday.com/?p=1302 For those of you who are still wondering what exactly the mysterious “shoegaze” is, here are ten albums which beautifully encapsulate the genre. Shoegaze is a sub-genre of indie rock, often referred to as “dream pop” laden with heavy effects, spacey sounds and neo-psychedelia. The name was coined from the observation that bands of the […]

The post 10 Shoegaze Albums that Define the Genre appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

]]> For those of you who are still wondering what exactly the mysterious “shoegaze” is, here are ten albums which beautifully encapsulate the genre. Shoegaze is a sub-genre of indie rock, often referred to as “dream pop” laden with heavy effects, spacey sounds and neo-psychedelia. The name was coined from the observation that bands of the genre tended to perform on stage detached from the audience, enthralled in the music and yes… gazed at their shoes.

Psychocandy, The Jesus and Marychain

A shoegaze album that came out before the 90s and the public rise of the genre. Dark and grungy guitar effects combine with dreamier lyrics and melodies to create an album which deeply influenced many shoegaze artists to come.

Loveless, My Bloody Valentine

Loveless is an iconic shoegaze album, with a romantic, psychedelic feel and bittersweet melodies.

Souvlaki, Slowdive

Souvlaki is an album to lose yourself to this summer. The guitar effects drift off into the air and carry you with it.

Methodrone, The Bryan Jonestown Massacre

For more rocky, heavier psychedelia.

Lush, Gala

An important part of the shoegaze cannon.

Mescal Head, Swervedriver

A little less dreamy and a little more foreceful. A shoegaze album which rocks hard.

Third Wave, The Telescopes

Very trippy, sometimes creepy and a unique and beautifully chaotic shoegaze album from the 21st century.

Ride, Nowhere

An absolute masterpiece rich with dark and ethereal sounds.

In Ribbons, Pale Saints

Pale Saints’ second album was ranked on the Top 50 Shoegaze albums of all time by Pitchfork.

Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space, Spiritualized 

A beautifully dreamy album which tells the story of a love and loss that is both deeply personal and romantic as well as detached and surreal.

The post 10 Shoegaze Albums that Define the Genre appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

]]> Spiritualized “And Nothing Hurt” Album Review https://hotpoptoday.com/spiritualized-and-nothing-hurt-album-review/ Sun, 30 Sep 2018 07:43:23 +0000 https://hotpoptoday.com/?p=2077 And Nothing Hurt is James Pierce’s 8th album as Spiritualized, which is now a solo project. He worked on the album almost completely alone using his laptop. All the soundscapes, string arrangements, and complex rhythms and guitar parts are all put together by a man alone in a room. Recording an album in this way is […]

The post Spiritualized “And Nothing Hurt” Album Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

]]> And Nothing Hurt is James Pierce’s 8th album as Spiritualized, which is now a solo project. He worked on the album almost completely alone using his laptop. All the soundscapes, string arrangements, and complex rhythms and guitar parts are all put together by a man alone in a room. Recording an album in this way is ridiculously difficult but it most definitely paid off.

There is something richly human about And Nothing Hurt. Spiritualized tells the story of life and all its little details – its love and its pain – through music. This latest album does this better than ever. There’s no self-pity on this record, it’s an honest confession that life can bring pain but it also admits you can emerge unscathed, in love and smiling.

“Janey said she had a problem with the modern world / All the boys she ever loved are with another girl” he sings in ‘The Morning after’. His advice is: “Don’t call the morning after
Won’t stop the pain and laughter / Won’t help to pass the blame / you gotta take the pain /
You gotta give it all away and you have gotta go”.

Essentially, you can’t let the modern world get you down, you must take the pain then “give it all away”. This uplifting message can be heard in the music, which sounds far more optimistic than some of Spiritualized’s previous albums. There is still a sadness to it but the guitar riffs and upbeat percussion in tracks like “Here It Comes (The Road) Let’s Go” lift the album from something which makes you want to wallow to something which inspires.

“Let’s Dance” is a great track which can’t help but evoke memories of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. It’s both sickeningly sweet and deadly cynical at the same time. There’s no need to try and get your head around the mixed emotions though, Pierce instead suggests “let’s dance”. Then cue the strange space rock sounds.

Overall, And Nothing Hurt is beautifully honest and is entirely consistent with the Spiritualized sound fans have grown to love while also bringing us something new. The modern world can be a frighteningly confusing place but this is an album that can help you follow Pierce’s advice and take the pain then “give it all away”. It’s an album to embrace love and life to.

4/5

The post Spiritualized “And Nothing Hurt” Album Review appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

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