My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything (1988/2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything (1988/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 38:02 minutes | 818 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Domino

With their debut album, Isn’t Anything (originally released in 1988), my bloody valentine revolutionised alternative music and heralded a new approach to guitar music for generations to come. The album birthed a sound which became a template for thousands of new subgenres, heralding a new approach to guitar music and studio production.

Though it’s often seen as just a precursor to their magnum opus Loveless, in its own way My Bloody Valentine’s Isn’t Anything is nearly as groundbreaking as their 1991 masterpiece. Not only was it the most lucid, expansive articulation yet of the group’s sound, it virtually created the shoegazing scene and spawned legions of followers. The album’s tightly structured songs still bore traces of My Bloody Valentine’s previous incarnation as jangly indie popsters, but Kevin Shields and company crafted wide-ranging experiments within those confines. “Feed Me with Your Kiss”‘s mix of bruising guitars, drums, and sensual boy-girl vocals define My Bloody Valentine’s signature sound, while “All I Need”‘s weightless guitars and vocal melodies melt into a heady haze. Shields’ unique tunings, tremolo, and miking techniques stand out on “You Never Should” and “Nothing Much to Lose,” but Deb Googe’s surprisingly funky bassline on “Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside)” reaffirms that all of the Valentines contributed to their innovative sound. Indeed, many of Isn’t Anything’s disturbingly beautiful highlights come from Bilinda Butcher. On the wrenching “No More Sorry,” she sings abstractly pained lyrics like “Your septic heart and deadly hand/Loved me black and blue,” barely audible over a swarm of fragile yet menacing guitars, while on “Several Girls Galore” she’s sexy, yet dazed and distant; it sounds like she’s whispering in your ear outside of a blaring nightclub. The Valentines’ dark side is especially prominent on the album, particularly on “Sueisfine,” where the chorus slyly morphs from “Sue is fine” to “Suicide.” Isn’t Anything captures My Bloody Valentine’s revolutionary style in its infancy and points the way to Loveless, but it’s far more than just a dress rehearsal for the band’s moment of greatness. – Heather Phares

Tracklist:
01. My Bloody Valentine – Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside) (02:21)
02. My Bloody Valentine – Lose My Breath (03:38)
03. My Bloody Valentine – Cupid Come (04:29)
04. My Bloody Valentine – (When You Wake) You’re Still in a Dream (03:18)
05. My Bloody Valentine – No More Sorry (02:47)
06. My Bloody Valentine – All I Need (03:05)
07. My Bloody Valentine – Feed Me with Your Kiss (03:54)
08. My Bloody Valentine – Suesfine (02:12)
09. My Bloody Valentine – Several Girls Galore (02:21)
10. My Bloody Valentine – You Never Should (03:23)
11. My Bloody Valentine – Nothing Much to Lose (03:17)
12. My Bloody Valentine – I Can See It (But I Can’t Feel It) (03:12)

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