The idea of a resurgence in the genre formerly known as ‘shoegazing’ is enough to send this writer running to the hills. Bringing back memories of the 1991 Reading festival where we stood for hours watching bands such as Slowdive analyse their footwear beneath heavy fringes and made Neds Atomic Dustbin seem like welcome relief should be warning to us all.
Yet there’s something about Swedens Radio Dept. that brings out the sentimentalist in us. For sure they must have racks of gleaming FX pedals and they’re not afraid to use them. Yes that weedy drum machine has a certain charm which attaches to half the songs on this debut album and even has this writer on the verge of mentioning not only early Jesus and Mary Chain but (gulp) My Bloody Valentine
Let’s not get carried away, for those of you old enough (and lucky enough) to remember the seminal ‘Rollercoaster’ tour (with the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr and a very young Blur) you will know that this has little chance of standing up to the two headline acts greatest work but it does show great promise. Not only that, it is so utterly out of step with what’s happening now, that it carries it’s own distinct and unique charm.
For those familiar with the early EPs you will recognise the jangly, under produced joy of ‘Where Damage Isn’t Already Done’. Tinny, breathless and beautifully catchy, it’s all over far too quickly. ‘Why won’t You Talk About It’ wants to be on ‘Loveless’ and comes damn near pulling it off. Utilising layer upon layer of guitar effects, that afore mentioned weedy drum machine and ethereal vocals it probably sound as though it could be brutal but is in reality rather beautiful.
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Elsewhere ‘1995’ (surely they mean 1985?) is a deceptively simple lament to teenage years that veers towards twee but stops itself just in time. It’s a standout on an excellent album and brings to mind (rather bizarrely) the Smashing Pumpkin’s ‘1979’ (and it’s only when I typed that I realised the similarities in title, honest!). Much of the rest of the album sticks to layers of FX ridden guitars, simplistic beats and breathless vocals blue print and has really hit home when played the morning after the night before, whilst wallowing in self pity and regret it sooths frazzled nerves and cushions the listener in fuzzed up joy.
Sitting somewhere between the Mary Chain’s ‘Psycho Candy’ and ‘Darklands’ (although probably not as good as either in truth) it’s an effect laden oasis in a sea of shambolic garage rock and post punk spikiness. Revealing it’s charms over repeated listening and proving to be one of this years unexpected treats it’s a marvellous debut that hopefully promises even bigger things for the future. And they’re shit loads better than Neds Atomic Dustbin.
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