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Jun 13, 2023 Web Exclusive By Ian Rushbury

Hey Gen X-er! Remember all that stuff you used to listen to when you were pretending to study for your final exams? Well, here it is, neatly compiled and bizarrely, almost fashionable. Waves of Distortion scoops up some of the big hitters of the shoegaze scene of the early to mid ’90s, adds some of the more recent exponents of the genre, and compiles them into a neat, two CD set. It’s not definitive, but it is a lot of fun.

Back in the day, shoegaze was almost a dirty word for the majority of UK music critics, who poured scorn on the likes of Slowdive, Chapterhouse, and the rest of the pale and interesting bunch. However, the minute it was rebranded as dream pop, all of a sudden, exactly the same music became the flavor of the month.

Like the vast majority of this type of compilation, there are some significant omissions. No Cocteau Twins. No My Bloody Valentine. And no Moose—the band who originally inspired the term “shoegaze.” But what is here is rather lovely. Ride are represented by the gorgeous “Vapour Trail,” Lush contribute “Sweetness and Light” and Slowdive’s much-maligned “Slomo” is an early highlight.

It’s not all old news: The 21st century is well represented by Flying Colours (“Long Holiday”), Beach House (“Lazuli”), and Ringo Deathstarr’s “Kaleidoscope.” All these tunes manage to hold their own alongside the old guard.

There are a few surprising choices, including Ultra Vivid Scene’s “The Mercy Seat,” which substitutes the typical ethereal, phased waft normally associated with the genre, with a jackhammer beat and a relentless, superfuzzed bass. It’s a hidden gem.

If you’ve stumbled into the genre via the gateway drug of dream pop, this would be a nice way to get a feel for it. It’s not definitive and shoegaze ubernerds may look at the track listing and complain loudly to anyone who’ll listen. That doesn’t matter. There’s enough stuff here to give the curious listener a working knowledge of the genre that once upon a time, no one dared to admit they liked, but now everyone who didn’t like it pretends they really did. Funny old world, isn’t it? (www.two-piers.bandcamp.com/album/waves-of-distortion-the-best-of-shoegaze-1990-2022)

Author rating: 7.5/10