Isn't Anything

Personnel: Kevin Shields, Bilinda Butcher (vocals, guitar); Deb Googe (bass); Colm O'Ciosoig (drums).
Engineers: D. Anderson, S. Nunn, A. Russell.
From its very first moments, My Bloody Valentine's ISN'T ANYTHING announces a musical revolution--the rough, insistent snare hits are joined by scalar bass runs, finally uniting and pausing to give way to a barely recognizable guitar swirl and up-close, unproduced vocals as a new form is born. The album's inimitable sonic collages sought to marry the brash experimentation and punk ethic of Sonic Youth with more pop-oriented production values and songcraft. Mastermind Kevin Shields's somewhat more streamlined European update on the noise-rock ethic may carry an intimidating sonic swagger, but beneath there beats the heart of a musical unit firmly grounded in pop.
The open-ended sonic stir and dreamy vocal of "Lose My Breath" create a swirling atmosphere, held aloft by a single, plodding acoustic guitar. This kaleidoscopic intensity reaches its apex in the stirring drama of "No More Sorry," a tightly-wound tune that pitches like a ship in a storm, battered by waves of harsh, unforgiving guitar textures. The brash, pounding punk ideal is embraced most obviously on "(When You Awake) You're Still In A Dream" and "Feed Me With Your Kiss."