To some people, the Shoegaze sound started in 1991 and ended not long after. It was a period in time - like punk - and is as much about nostalgia as about innovation. For others, Shoegaze - like punk - had a nuclear moment when it seized the zeitgeist, but continues to progress and contribute to the sound of alternative music.
When the term ‘shoegaze’ was first coined by a snarky journalist, it was intended to be malicious: it implied that the performers were insipid waifs unable to look their audience in the eyes, much less put on a show for them. Obviously, this wasn’t quite the case, and a few decades after that 1991 zero-point cultural moment, the term is now - yes, like punk and also grunge - positively welded to a particular sound and attitude.
So what is that attitude?
What is Shoegaze?
Shoegaze is a type of rock music that leans into 80s scenes like post punk and krautrock, with an emphasis on sonic texture and layers of sound. It’s distinct from riffy rock and from punk, so how to tell a shoegaze song?
I’d say there are a few key pointers.
- Looking inward - from the lyrics to the body language, shoegaze is kind of the antithesis of David Lee Roth, if you will.
- Texture - people used to speak about Kevin Shields’ guitar parts as being ‘cathedrals of sound’, and whilst that might be a bit much, I also totally understand the sentiment!
- Ensemble playing - there is a real focus on a united front: there is very little in the way of extended soloing or grandstanding within the music. It’s about the collective sound.
- Gazing at feet - I’m being facetious, but effects pedals are a huge part of the shoegaze sound, perhaps more so than any other equipment.
- Vocals are not prominent, generally - some bands buried their vocals deeper in the mix than others, but it seems to me that in shoegaze, vocals are there as a reference point more than a focal point.
That’s how I see it at least. Shoegaze existed before 1991 (though the name may not have been there) and it exists today in forms other than it was in its heyday. I’ll include examples of these as I wind through the history of the style and touch on the records that make up the Best Shoegaze Albums EVER!
The Best Shoegaze Albums at a Glance
Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
Psychocandy - Jesus and Mary Chain
The Perfect Prescription - Spacemen 3
The Comforts of Madness - Pale Saints
Yerself is Steam - Mercury Rev
A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers
Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
If ever a record sounded like how its cover looked, it would be My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. Hazy and vague, yet textured and mysterious, Loveless has become something of a mythical album in the decades since its release.
For many, Loveless is the defining statement of shoegaze. I’d say that MBV’s previous song You Made Me Realise contained the blueprint of the genre without doubt, but that blueprint saw full realisation on this 1991 masterpiece.
From the first seconds of Only Shallow onwards, it’s clear that what we are hearing is not conventional guitar music by any degree. I’ll spare the superlatives, and let you just discover this one on your own, but it’s definitely important to know Loveless in order to understand shoegaze music.
Psychocandy - Jesus and Mary Chain
Are the Jesus and Mary Chain shoegaze? Well, here’s a different angle: would shoegaze ever have existed if it weren’t for them? This 1985 debut mixes sharp melody with even sharper guitars. Jim Reid’s softly sung vocals contrasted brilliantly with brother William’s feedback squalls and blasts of fuzz, making a startling record that opened the doors for shoegaze to enter a few years later.
Just for a Day - Slowdive
Slowdive are frequently cited as shoegaze main players, and for good reason. There’s a dark edge to their sound (the band name comes from Siouxsie and the Banshees) which is somewhat at odds with the sweeter end of shoegaze, but the sounds still flow and wave like the best shoegaze. It’s moody, it’s gorgeous and it’s a real deep dive to enjoy.
Going Blank Again - Ride
It was between this one and Nowhere, but I feel like Going Blank Again has a more fully realised sound. It’s bigger and more ambitious to my ears, and whilst your definition may differ from mine, I feel like that’s partly what shoegaze was/is all about. Is it too polished? I don’t think so, but having opinions on it is all part of the fun!
Mezcal Head - Swervedriver
Swervedriver represented the tougher end of 90s shoegaze. Riffier, more aggressive and slightly more mechanical, they provided a link between the navel-gazing and the moshpit. Again, many of their albums could’ve happily lived on this list, but Mezcal Head to me sounds like an upgrade in actual songwriting compared to previous album Raise. This is a good entry point to the world of shoegaze if you are coming to it as a fan of metal.
The Perfect Prescription - Spacemen 3
Perhaps not strictly shoegaze, Spacemen 3 were - like the Jesus and Mary Chain - indispensably significant to the genre. Bringing together krautrock, indie and noise, Spacemen 3 defined a sound that sent signals into the guitar underground of the late 80s. Their brand of space rock was full of psychedelia and trance-inducing drones, as well as deliciously effected guitar sounds from buzzing old Vox Invaders. It was intense and blissful at the same time, just like the best shoegaze.
Jason Pierce would move on to form Spiritualized, and took the shoegaze sound into a widescreen sci-fi/gospel place, whilst Peter ‘Sonic Boom’ Kember has kept the flame burning in a number of similarly themed projects.
The Comforts of Madness - Pale Saints
This Pale Saints record is what I’d shove on if somebody asked me for ‘the shoegaze sound’. If Loveless is the best album of the genre, it’s also so unique sounding that most other shoegaze records don’t sound like it. So, I’d go with The Comforts of Madness as an example of shoegaze, mixed with maybe a little dream pop. It’s on 4AD too, the hippest and most arty of all 80s/90s labels.
Yerself is Steam - Mercury Rev
When Mercury Rev hit big, they sounded like a gloriously otherworldly Alice in Wonderland band. Horns and bowed saws adorned their whimsical, Terry-Gilliamesque music, but it wasn’t always like that.
Check out their debut record Yerself Is Steam, and you’ll hear experimentation of a whole other type. This record fuzzes with life, noise and atmosphere. It’s simultaneously huge and intimate, and still contains the kernel of ‘Willy Wonka-ness’ throughout, thanks to the omnipresent flute and co-vocalist David Baker’s unorthodox ramblings.
And stick on Chasing a Bee at about 3 minutes in to hear one of the greatest slices of guitar noise ever captured on tape!
A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers
Shoegaze is by no means a relic of the early 90s. Several bands have brought the sound into the new millennium, and some go further by building their own arsenal of effects pedals!
You know who I’m talking about. Oliver Ackermann is both frontman of A Place to Bury Strangers and head designer/builder at Death By Audio pedals. His boxes really do go further than the typical off-the-shelf choices (the Fuzz War is guaranteed fun for all), and of course play a role in the sound of his band.
This self-titled record brings the expected wall-of-sound sonics and adds punk energy, which is perhaps the main departure from the shoegaze scene. It’s still totally shoegaze though, and moments of it are absolutely thrilling.
Pure Mood - Ringo Deathstarr
Another amazing band name here! When Ringo Deathstarr formed, their plan was to combine the sounds of My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
They definitely succeeded there! That is exactly what this band sounds like, and whilst on paper that could seem somewhat formulaic, in reality it’s fresh and exciting.
They’ve got a bunch of good albums out, so I wasn’t too sure which one I wanted for today’s list. In the end I chose Pure Mood, since it’s the one I’ve gone back to more than the others, but I recommend just sticking on a bunch of their stuff and enjoying the vibe!
The Joy of Noise
Shoegaze is obviously about the sound, and the feeling of the sound. It’s about juxtaposing textures and layering different tones. It’s about understanding that hazard and chance are as important - and as valid - as intention.
It’s about realising the fuzz pedals rule and that turning down is not an option.
I hope you enjoyed this guide to the best shoegaze records ever, but I really hope you just had a blast checking out the tunes. Until next time.
