another shoegaze post- this is the third in a row! i’ve come to the realization that titles that just have the song name and artist are a bit boring, so i’ll be trying to experiment with more interesting ones in the coming weeks. i’ll also be cutting down on article length so these are a little more readable.
souvlaki, the 1993 album “When the Sun Hits” is from, is an odd one for me. on one hand, i’ve liked it for a long time, and none of the songs will ever grow old. on the other hand, it’s never been my absolute favorite album. but “When the Sun Hits” has been one of my favorite songs for a long time now, and i personally believe you can’t define the shoegaze genre without it.
“When the Sun Hits” has a rapid, echoing guitar riff that hits like an early rain shower, chock full of gorgeous modulation. neil halstead’s vocals are low and tired and mournful, like he’s just woken up from a night’s slumber. it perfectly captures the atmosphere when you’re driving down a road alone in an early, sunny morning. in my opinion, it’s one of those rare songs that doesn’t have many shortcomings at all; even the lyrics give off the perfect mood, and lyrics don’t matter much in shoegaze.
give it a listen if you haven’t already!
q-street 