Nice and Queasy: My Bloody Valentine – m.b.v.

After waiting 22 years for new material from the ultimate perfectionist in Kevin Shields, he has delivered an album that mirrors the unsettling beauty of Isn’t Anything and Loveless, whilst pushing the boundaries of sonic potential once more.  For a band that has always taken an individualistic approach to music making this may be unsurprising, but no less inspiring given the time frame.

My Bloody Valentine fans worried about a change in direction are put at ease within 30 seconds of opening track She Found Now, with layers of droning oscillating guitar, shot through with high pitched notes and airy vocals taking the listener to a place only MBV can deliver.

Sound levels seem to be ramped up another level on Only Tomorrow as clattering drums are drowned out by yet more droning multi-layered guitars building and falling away, leaving you unsure of where the song is going.  And Bilinda’s dreamlike vocals seeping in and out, and sounds building and fading before you can trace their origin.

If I Am lowers the tone and shimmies along as Butcher’s breathy vocals permeate the music.  The most conventional song on the album comes next in the form of New You and has thudding drums and guitars with Bilinda Butcher’s hushed vocals floating over them.  It is an example of the bands pop sensibilities and shows us they could take the band in any number of directions, if they were so inclined. 

And just when you think you’ve figured the album out, Shield’s derails the listener once more, taking us in a different direction.  On In Another Way guitars sound like bagpipes alongside a shuffling drumbeat, guitar lines reminiscent of an Underworld soundtrack appear midway through for a brief moment before going in a different direction entirely.

Nothing Is dumbfounds once more with its fast paced industrial-driven beat which sounds a bit like a revved up version of 1970s electronic proto punk band Suicide.  Album closer Wonder 2 starts with the sound of a large aircraft taking off, which stays airborne throughout the song above heavily distorted vocals and violin-like guitar playing.

In a music industry that has become somewhat predictable, it is good to have one of the purveyors of weirdness back behind the wheel to allow us to question the direction in which music is travelling.  On m b v, My Bloody Valentine have stayed true to their atypical route through the music industry by making their most warped guitar music to date.

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By Garrett Hargan