Album Review: My Bloody Valentine - m b v

Twenty-two years. Most bands don't even last that long, let alone leave gaps in their discography that wide. But My Bloody Valentine are not 'most bands' and Loveless is no normal album to follow up – it remains one of the most critically loved albums of all time. So after all the delays and forgotten promises and lost recordings, how does the nearly self-titled m b v stand up?

Opener She Found Now is perhaps purposefully inauspicious, recalling a classic Loveless-era lush haze. Vocals well and truly lost in the mix, beautiful “ooos” and a dream-like pace solidify this song, and the coming record, as My Bloody Valentine. This is not a re-invention of the wheel, it's a statement – the shoegazers are back.

The first half of the album maintains this quintessentially 1991 reminiscent tone, with standout Who Sees You as essential a shoegaze tune as anyone could ask for. Is This And Yes, a wildcard track, recalls the minimalist electronica of Kevin Shields' soundtrack work – featuring no guitar at all, and simple, poetic (and ever-hushed) lyrics.

As if m b v is intended to bridge a gap between the past and an as yet unknown prospect, the records final three songs – In Another Way, Nothing Is, Wonder 2 – are unlike anything any band has ever recorded. Part breakbeat, part noise, ever droning and lush, this final 15 minutes shows off a new side to the band and a potentially brilliant future.

What is astonishing is that, after over two decades, My Bloody Valentine have done it again. They have managed to not only not disappoint, but to innovate and challenge modern sonic ideas. It won't win over unbelievers, but regardless, m b v is an absolute triumph.