6 Essential SHOEGAZE Albums
Shoegaze—the fascinating music genre every pedal lover and noise-rock enthusiast admires more than the common Joe. I should be arrested for that pun. Nevertheless, for those who don’t know, Shoegaze has been around since the 1980s, where it emerged from the indie and alternative rock scene in the United Kingdom.
Shoegaze artists are typically categorized by having an ethereal-sounding mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume tonal overtures. It’s a visceral experience that everyone should dive into at some point—if you’re an avid music fanatic, I’m sure you’re familiar with the genre.
Like any other genre, there are a number of fantastic records that fit under the shoegaze umbrella, many of which are deemed to be essential shoegaze albums. To help get you started on your shoegaze journey or just as an overall album recommendation, let’s discuss six essential shoegaze albums.
1. Chapterhouse - Whirlpool (1991)
Whirlpool is the debut album from Chapterhouse—an excellent shoegaze and alternative rock group that formed in 1987. The record is a great mixture of dream-pop and Shoegaze and is a mesmerizing listen over its 40-minute run-time.
It's mysterious, lush, melancholic, romantic, and has everything you’d need in a fine shoegaze album. You’ll definitely get a deep spacey feel while listening, and it’s certainly a late-night kind of album for me or on a long drive. No matter the scenario, this is a great album to throw on.
2. The Verve - A Storm in Heaven (1993)
The Verve’s A Storm in Heaven is a bit less known to the world than some of the other shoegaze records being released at the same time during the early 1990s but is still equally as valuable and worth listening to.
A Storm in Heaven is an immediate intense, and reverberated record that takes an emotional toll on any listener. The fuzz and driven guitars make it such a novel listen, while its ambient textures and cleverness stand out really well. Definitely give it a spin.
3. Slowdive - Souvlaki (1993)
Souvlaki is a beautiful chorus and reverb-filled album that strikes another emotion with its beautiful lyricism, song structures, and the constant wondering of what’s to come on the record.
Many cite Slowdive to be on the number two list right behind My Bloody Valentine for being one of the best shoegaze bands, and rightfully so. This album doesn’t necessarily drive or pack a punch as much as A Storm in Heaven, but it’s still fantastic nonetheless.
4. Swervedriver - Mezcal Head (1993)
Some people might not classify Swervedriver’s Mezcal Head as part of the shoegaze spectrum as some of these other records, but it certainly has elements of it. It’s a little more upbeat than these other albums—take its opening track For Seeking Heat as an example.
By the end, its eerie finish and wistful lyricism over its rock foundation highlight how you can easily classify it as a shoegaze album. It might be my personal favorite on this list, and I feel it’s a bit underrated.
5. Ride - Nowhere (1990)
Ride’s 1990 record, Nowhere. Nowhere is one of the first shoegaze albums to have reached the mass populous, and without it, it’s challenging to say how the genre would’ve evolved. If you’re a Beatles fan, you might see some similarities on the opening track Seagull, since it has a riff reminiscent of Taxman.
Imagine a world where The Beatles started in the early 1990s and became a Shoegaze band instead—fun to think about I suppose. As a whole, Nowhere is a monumental moment in rock history for being the foundation of shoegaze.
6. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
You can’t have a shoegaze discussion without bringing up My Bloody Valentine’s 1991 masterpiece Loveless. This record took two years to make and is reported to have cost a boatload of money—reportedly bankrupting its label—and it can be heard through its noise, avant-rock, and dream pop-oriented sound.
Kevin Shields’s wailing guitar is a prominent leading factor of the record, demonstrating a sound not common before it. Theme-wise, it’s a sorrowful and interpretive-filled record that adds to the reasons why it’s arguably the best shoegaze record of all time.