Album of the Week: Slowdive - Everything Is Alive | 2023 Week 35

When Slowdive first reformed in 2014 after a nine year hiatus and announced a world tour, fans first thoughts of course went to hoping for new music, which came in 2017 in the form of their self-titled fourth studio album, arriving 22 years after the release of 1995’s Pygmalion. A huge touring schedule continued for the five piece (including coming down under), showcasing their tightness as a live band and revealing their passion for performing had, if anything, grown over the years.

In September 2020 they announced that work had begun on their fifth studio album, and now fast forward three years and a handful of awesome singles, and we’re blessed with Everything Is Alive, a record sure to satisfy lifelong fans as well as make new converts, with the band doing what they do best - crafting atmospheric, engrossing, lush and layered dreamy shoegazey soundscapes.

Sounding slightly more polished than previous releases, Everything Is Alive has a great sense of balance across it’s eight tracks, with some presenting themselves immediately on first listen (previous singles Kisses and Skin In The Game for example), while others slowly unravel across their runtime (see Prayer Remembered and Andalucia Plays).

The result is a record that, while definitely pulling you in with first listen, rewards repeat listens to fully absorb its intricacies - just like any good album, especially in the shoegaze world which nearly four decades on is in safe hands while legends like Slowdive continue to release music.

The best of the rest of this week's records:

Declaime & Theory Hazit - Rocketman [Someothaship] USA

Hip Hop

Gena Rose Bruce - Lighting Up [Dot Dash Recordings] AUS

Alternative / Indie

Illa J - No Traffic [BBE Music] USA

Hip Hop

Jungle Breed - WYNONA, PALOMA, PAPILLOMA [Blossom Rot Records] AUS

Alt / Rock

Puma Blue - Holy Waters [PIAS] ENG

Alt / Soul

smol fish - Crocodile Tears [Sidequest] AUS

Alt / Pop

Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit [Speedy Ortiz] USA

Alt / Rock

Taylah Carroll - The After Party [PIAS Australia] AUS

Indie / Pop

Turnstyle - Citizens' Handbook [Igloo Records] AUS

Alt / Rock