MBV
[self-released 2013]
Here's something not uttered since 1991: My Bloody Valentine have a new album out.
The first release by the shoegazer legends in 22 years does not introduce itself with the bang that led off the classic Loveless all those years ago but with the delightful narcotic haze of "She Found Now" with MBV mastermind Kevin Shields on lead vocals. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, particularly the first half, which underutilizes drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig, whose steady grooves are sorely missed.Inevitable comparisons between Loveless and MBV are sure to come in the following days and weeks. (The one rather embarrassing similitude which will rarely, if ever, surface is how this album took longer than Chinese Democracy to see the light of day.)
But it's rather pointless to size up a a two-decades-later followup against a landmark record, particularly when the later album does not reveal itself to be of similar stature. Of course, the question remains: Was it worth the wait? That answer depends on your particular devotion to My Bloody Valentine. And judging by initial fan reaction--including a 3-hour crash of the band's website--it seems as if just being able to enjoy a new album by these guys is nothing short of a state of bliss. All others tread cautiously.
