Tuesday 21 February 2023

Closedown - Nearfield (1994)


Closedown - Bumblebee 
Sometimes it's hard to know whether a shoegaze band is just poor at imitating My Bloody Valentine or if they really were just trying be an ultra-pallid tribute to Chapterhouse. And essentially it doesn't matter because you're either in or out when it comes to superfluous Johnny come lately 90s shoegazers. You know who the legends, innovators and inspirations are but you just want more and sometimes any old lazy fx worship (and singers so beyond ethereal they are but wisps in their very own Cocteau wind) will do.

I previously thought Closedown were the ultimate pale Slowdive imitators but you know what? Re-listening to them again recently there seems to be something a little bit special about this 90s LA band. Read into that what what you will. Their Nearsfield cd is a late shoegaze gem. If the crappy three instrumental tracks, with the terrible space-y synth that made them sound like a K-Tel Pink Floyd, had been removed they might have become legendary. Suffice to say their self styled primitive Eno bandmate shoulda been talked out of his silly experiments. The rest of the tunes however just flow along in lovely waves and a daydream haze. Nice.

MISSING SONG

Closedown - Moon
A heavenly oceanic rock jam of the highest order. Ultimate tone.


Closedown - Red Oval
A dubby bass swirls beneath an insidious hypnotic swell, suddenly a maelstrom is upon you. Peak shoegazery.


Closedown - Mouth
What a mesmerising trip out into the interstellar waves of the cosmic vortex.


Closedown - Empyreal
Their coulda-been pop moment. 


Closedown - Transmission
Rays of light glisten on the ocean during the new dawn of the earth...er sorry not sorry.

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