When discussing the genre of shoegaze as a whole — a term literally coined from performers looking down at their shoes during shows, due to the music’s signature usage of guitar pedals — it’s arguable that Slowdive is one of the most influential in that field of music. Comparative to other shoegaze outfits such as My Bloody Valentine and Ride, Slowdive always offered a sweeter side of what shoegaze could sound like: galactic trip through a starry night or arrays of light green meadows contrasting a bright sky.
After a six year hiatus following their self-titled comeback album, Slowdive comes back with reinvention to their sound via “everything is alive.” Comparative to their other works, “everything is alive” has a greater emphasis on soundscapes and synthesizers; its greatest example being the fully instrumental “prayer remembered.” Nothing but guitar tones and glitched out synth pads spread off into the distance, separated by sparse drum hits.
In contrast, songs like “alife” and “kisses” feel less massive and existential than other tracks on “everything is alive.” Instead it takes the form of a pop tune with the same lush environment to serve as a backdrop. Their inclusions help chop up the heaviness of other cuts, especially since tracks like “chained to a cloud” hit you with overwhelming waves of synths and instruments that meld together into a shoegaze monster.
If any track towers above the rest with its oppressive sound, it’s the fittingly titled “the slab.” Leaning into different shoegaze influences, a cacophony of distortion touches everything in its path, creating an intriguing mix of tones that makes the final outcome sound harsh and serene all at the same time. Despite Slowdive not necessarily making any new waves on this LP, “everything is alive” still justifies its place in Slowdive’s limited, yet stacked discography.
