Slowdive - Everything Is Alive -2023- - Album A...
The album clocks in at a lean 42 minutes—eight tracks that function less as individual radio singles and more as movements in a single, continuous dream.
Where early Slowdive (think Souvlaki) was drenched in reverb and teenage melancholy, everything is alive feels like middle-aged reflection—still beautiful, but with more space and grit. Key characteristics:
Why this album matters: After their celebrated 2017 reunion album (the self-titled Slowdive), the band could have played it safe. Instead, everything is alive pushes their signature sound into warmer, more abstract, and deeply human territory.
Everything is alive is not Souvlaki Part II. It is not Just for a Day remixed. It is the sound of a group of friends in their fifties who have survived critical dismissal, commercial failure, the death of the CD, the rise of streaming, and the personal loss of loved ones, and who have decided that making noise together is the only logical response to mortality.
The shoegaze revival of the 2020s has produced many bands who can mimic the "wall of sound." But few understand that the wall exists only to cast a shadow. Slowdive understands that the shadow proves there is light.
Everything is alive is a document of persistence. It proves that after thirty years, after the silence, after the grief, the heart of this band is still beating—loud, clear, and beautifully distorted.
Rating: 9/10 Key Tracks: alife, prayer remembered, shanty
Everything is alive is out now via Dead Oceans.
Released on September 1, 2023, everything is alive is Slowdive’s fifth studio album and their second since their 2014 reformation. The record is a mature, deeply personal work that balances the band's signature shoegaze textures with newfound electronic minimalism. Overview and Background Thematically Heavy
: The album is dedicated to Rachel Goswell's mother and drummer Simon Scott's father, both of whom passed away in 2020. A "Deeper" Sound
: Neil Halstead initially conceived the project as a minimal electronic record. While it evolved into a full-band effort, those synth-heavy roots remain a defining feature. Production
: Recorded during the pandemic, the music served as an "escape" for the band members during a period of personal grief and global isolation. Musical Style Electronic Evolution
: Tracks like "shanty" and "chained to a cloud" feature arpeggiated synthesizers and pulsating loops, moving the band toward a more modern, experimental sound while retaining their "wall of sound" guitar ethos. Dream Pop Sensibilities : Lead single "kisses" has been described by reviewers at The Guardian as "early New Order reimagined through a dream-pop haze". Instrumental Focus
: Three of the eight tracks are primarily instrumental, giving the album the feel of an intimate, open journal. Track-by-Track Highlights Slowdive - everything is alive -2023- - album a...
Slowdive - Everything is Alive (2023) Album Review
The wait is over, and Slowdive has finally delivered their highly anticipated fifth studio album, "Everything is Alive". Released on May 27, 2023, via Dead Oceans, this latest effort marks a triumphant return for the British shoegaze outfit, who have been tantalizing fans with hints of new material since their critically-acclaimed 2017 album "Slowdive".
From the opening notes of the album's first single, "Alison", it's clear that Slowdive is still very much the masters of swirling, dreamy soundscapes. The song's hypnotic guitar work, laid-back beats, and ethereal vocal harmonies between Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead instantly transport listeners to a lush, psychedelic realm.
Throughout "Everything is Alive", Slowdive continues to explore the intersection of shoegaze, dream pop, and ambient textures, crafting an album that is both a natural progression of their sound and a bold new chapter in their discography. The album's 10 tracks are meticulously produced by Slowdive and accomplished producer, Jim King (Warpaint, Foxygen), yielding a rich, immersive listening experience that rewards repeated listens.
The album's sonic palette is characterized by the signature interplay between Halstead's swirling guitars and Goswell's soaring vocals, often conjuring memories of their beloved earlier work, such as "Souvlaki" and "Pygmalion". However, "Everything is Alive" also exhibits a renewed sense of experimentation and dynamism, incorporating moments of eerie calm, dissonant textures, and expansive atmospheric passages.
Standout tracks like "Kisses", with its pulsing electronic rhythms and intoxicating vocal melodies, and "That Heavy Sweater", featuring a surprisingly driving beat and shimmering guitars, showcase the band's ability to craft infectious, shoegaze-infused pop. Meanwhile, "Souvenir" and "Nothing is an Island" exemplify the band's more introspective, ambient inclinations, featuring contemplative lyrics and lush soundscapes.
Lyrically, the album explores themes of love, longing, and introspection, filtering these universal emotions through the band's trademark filter of dreamy abstraction. Goswell's and Halstead's vocals blend and intersect in mesmerizing ways, conveying a deep emotional resonance that invites listeners to immerse themselves in the music.
Ultimately, "Everything is Alive" serves as a magnificent testament to Slowdive's enduring creative vitality and their skill at crafting transcendent, otherworldly music. Following a six-year hiatus, the band has emerged with an album that not only honors their rich musical heritage but also announces their continued relevance in the contemporary music landscape.
Rating: 9/10
Tracklist:
Recommended if you like: My Bloody Valentine, Warpaint, Cocteau Twins, Ride, M83
This review provides a general overview of the album, highlighting its sonic characteristics, standout tracks, and themes. The rating and tracklist provide a quick reference for readers. The "Recommended if you like" section offers suggestions for similar artists and bands that might appeal to fans of Slowdive.
Released on September 1, 2023, "everything is alive" is the fifth studio album by British shoegaze pioneers Slowdive. It arrives six years after their 2017 self-titled comeback and marks a more electronic, synth-heavy evolution of their sound. 💿 Album Overview Release Date: September 1, 2023 Label: Dead Oceans Genres: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Ambient, Post-Rock The album clocks in at a lean 42
Core Themes: The album is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Goswell’s mother and Simon Scott’s father, both of whom passed away in 2020. Despite these losses, the record explores hope, continuity, and the "shimmering nature of life". 🎼 Tracklist & Highlights
The album consists of 8 tracks, blending classic guitar washes with new modular synthesizer textures: Slowdive - everything is alive ALBUM REVIEW
Slowdive’s fifth studio album, everything is alive, released on September 1, 2023, through Dead Oceans , serves as both a poignant tribute to lost loved ones and a bold evolution of the band’s legendary shoegaze sound. Arriving six years after their self-titled 2017 comeback, the record finds the Reading quintet—Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, Christian Savill, Nick Chaplin, and Simon Scott—navigating the complexities of life in their 50s with a mix of ambient experimentation and shimmering dream-pop. The Genesis of "Everything is Alive"
The album’s creation was deeply influenced by the profound personal shifts experienced by the band members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recording sessions, originally scheduled for April 2020, were delayed as the world shut down. During this period, the band suffered significant losses: Rachel Goswell’s mother and drummer Simon Scott’s father both passed away in 2020.
Neil Halstead, who produced the album and wrote all eight tracks, noted that the music became an "escape" from this darkness. This emotional weight is reflected in the album's dedication to those they lost, grounding the record’s signature ethereal textures in a tangible sense of grief and eventual hope. Sonic Evolution: From Reverb to Modular Synths
While the band is synonymous with reverb-drenched guitars, everything is alive introduces a significant shift toward modular synthesizers. Originally conceived as a "minimal electronic record," the final product retains the band's core shoegaze identity while integrating 80s-inspired synth patterns reminiscent of The Cure or New Order. Track-by-Track Highlights:
Album Review: Slowdive – everything is alive - Beats Per Minute
Everything Is Alive is the fifth studio album by the English shoegaze pioneers Slowdive, released on September 1, 2023, through Dead Oceans. Arriving six years after their critically acclaimed 2017 self-titled comeback, the album marks a significant sonic shift, integrating more modular synthesizers and electronic textures while maintaining the band's signature ethereal "wall of sound". Core Themes and Inspiration
The album is deeply personal, dedicated to the memory of vocalist Rachel Goswell’s mother and drummer Simon Scott’s father, both of whom passed away in 2020. While born from a period of profound grief, primary songwriter Neil Halstead notes that the record ultimately leans toward hope and vitality rather than darkness.
Optimism vs. Grief: The title itself reflects a "commitment to positivity" and moving toward the light after loss.
Technological Fusion: Much of the material began as electronic sketches on modular synths, later transformed into a full band effort that blends dream-pop with 80s-style electronic pulses. Track-by-Track Breakdown
The album consists of eight tracks that balance dense atmosphere with some of the band's most accessible pop hooks to date. Key Features 1. Shanty
An immersive opener featuring hypnotic, pulsing synth waves and swirling guitars. 2. Prayer Remembered Recommended if you like: My Bloody Valentine, Warpaint,
A ghostly, purely instrumental track built from arpeggiated synths and filtered guitar leads. 3. Alife
One of the first finished for the album; it features jangling guitars and ethereal "he said, she said" vocal harmonies. 4. Andalucia Plays
A slow-growing, meditative ballad with lyrical depth that references a "dead dog" as a symbol of loss and survival. 5. Kisses
The lead single and perhaps Slowdive's "poppiest" moment yet, evoking the spirit of early New Order through a romantic haze. 6. Skin in the Game
A woozy, beat-driven track that showcases the band's mastery of fuzz and atmosphere. 7. Chained to a Cloud
Features an electronic burn and a "soulful grit" in Rachel Goswell's vocals that experiments with new territory. 8. The Slab
The climactic closer; dense, heavy, and propulsive, it has been compared to the brooding intensity of post-rock. SLOWDIVE - everything is alive - Boomkat
Here’s a helpful write-up on Slowdive’s 2023 album, everything is alive.
The closing track. At nearly 7 minutes, it is the album’s epic. It begins with a single, distorted piano chord that rings out for ten seconds. Then, layers of guitar feedback build like a storm front. There are no conventional vocals for the first three minutes—just wordless moans and treated noise. When Halstead finally sings, it’s a mantra: “Everything is alive / Everything is dead.” The band slowly disintegrates into white noise and a single, repeating synth note. The album doesn’t end so much as dissolve into the ether. It’s a stunning, brave conclusion.
To understand everything is alive, one must understand the void it fills. After the critical and commercial success of Slowdive (2017)—an album that felt like a careful dusting off of cobwebs—the band faced a familiar pressure. They could have easily become a heritage act, touring Souvlaki for the rest of their days. Instead, they went quiet again, writing and discarding material for half a decade.
Then came the real silence.
In the years leading up to the album, the band endured profound personal loss. Most notably, the death of keyboardist and guitarist Rachel Goswell’s mother and the passing of drummer Simon Scott’s father. Where their 2017 album dealt with the anxiety of reunion, everything is alive confronts the finality of death. But this is not a mournful record. It is a defiant one.
As Neil Halstead noted in press materials for the album, the title everything is alive is an "affirmation." It is a mantra whispered in the face of the abyss. The album doesn't wallow in the mud of grief; it tries to photosynthesize light from it.