Shoegaze
Noah’s Barks pages relating to the shoegaze music genre.
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My Bloody Valentine – “m b v” (2013)
I just want to be the first to call m b v the “indie Chinese Democracy” before Pitchfork says it 10 times in their review. I don’t actually view this as another Chinese Democracy at all, I just wanted to be the first to say it. After all, I was one of the first people… (read more)
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Astrobrite – “Crush”
Crush by Astrobite is by-the-numbers shoegaze. It’s too same-y and mediocre to be worth your time. Good luck telling the tracks here apart. Sure you’ve got your fuzzy, noisy crunchers and ethereal, cyclical, slow songs, but those are your only two modes. Also, the vocalist thinks he’s Kevin Shields—but no one is! I don’t know… (read more)
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Boris – “Attention Please”
Minimal shoegaze Attention Please is as far away as you can get from shoegaze while still being shoegaze. It’s actually a pretty unique-sounding album for the genre and I never gave it enough credit for that before. I have to say though: Wata may be a good guitarist, but she is a terrible vocalist, and I’m not… (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “Isn’t Anything”
After years of small EPs, My Bloody Valentine release their first album and come out incredibly strong—if cold as ice. (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “Loveless” (1991)
2/5/2026: Man, I should probably have something written for my favorite album of all time. But hopefully you can empathize with having to write about something you connect to on such a deeply emotional level. Sure, I could go through Loveless track-by-track and describe why I think every composition choice works using adjectives yanked out… (read more)
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Catherine Wheel – “Chrome”
Woah, Chrome is pretty fucking cool. Dissonant alternative rock/shoegaze that perfectly captures the aquatic, drowning feel of the album cover. Lyrics are dark, the melodies are catchy and enveloping. A real trip where every song is a stand-out. To me, Chrome is Catherine Wheel‘s greatest album bar none, and one of the best alternative rock… (read more)
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Swervedriver – “Raise” (1991)
There’s good songs on Raise, but they’re severely weakened by some of the worst production of all time. Raise sounds like it was recorded inside of a tin can, and mixed with a mixing board also made out of tin cans. The vocalist sounds like he just got home after a hard day working at… (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “Lost Tracks and Rare Cuts” (2010)
Lost Tracks and Rare Cuts is an unauthorized collection of My Bloody Valentine (MBV) rarities. Among these are “Sugar,” one of the B-sides to the Only Shallow single and a longer version of the track “Glider” from the Glider EP. “Cowboy Song,” “Good for You,” “Just Like Us” (more commonly known as “Kevin Song”) and… (read more)
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The Telescopes – “Taste” (1989)
Expecting Taste to be all shoegaze could seem honest mistake due to the melancholy, acoustic opener “And Let Me Drift Away.” However, immediately after, the band makes an immediate 180—the first sign of Taste‘s true punk aesthetic—and explodes into fast-paced noise rock. Emphasis on the rock. The ethereal sonic soundscapes commonly attributed to shoegaze aren’t… (read more)
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Lilys – “In the Presence of Nothing” (1992)
Some listeners hate In the Presence of Nothing because it sounds so similar to My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. Other listeners like this album because it sounds so similar to My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. Of course, it’s not half as good as Loveless. Then again, most albums aren’t, shoegaze or not. Regardless, there are several strong,… (read more)