Isn't Anything

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Though it's often seen as just a precursor to their magnum opus Loveless, in its own way My Bloody Valentine's Isn't Anything is nearly as groundbreaking as their 1991 masterpiece. Not only was it the most lucid, expansive articulation yet of the group's sound, it virtually created the shoegazing scene and spawned legions of followers. The album's tightly structured songs still bore traces of My Bloody Valentine's previous incarnation as jangly indie popsters, but Kevin Shields and company crafted wide-ranging experiments within those confines. Feed Me with Your Kiss's mix of bruising guitars, drums, and sensual boy-girl vocals define My Bloody Valentine's signature sound, while All I Need's weightless guitars and vocal melodies melt into a heady haze. Shields' unique tunings, tremolo, and miking techniques stand out on You Never Should and Nothing Much to Lose, but Deb Googe's surprisingly funky bassline on Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside) reaffirms that all of the Valentines contributed to their innovative sound. Indeed, many of Isn't Anything's disturbingly beautiful highlights come from Bilinda Butcher. On the wrenching No More Sorry, she sings abstractly pained lyrics like Your septic heart and deadly hand/Loved me black and blue, barely audible over a swarm of fragile yet menacing guitars, while on Several Girls Galore she's sexy, yet dazed and distant; it sounds like she's whispering in your ear outside of a blaring nightclub. The Valentines' dark side is especially prominent on the album, particularly on Sueisfine, where the chorus slyly morphs from Sue is fine to Suicide. Isn't Anything captures My Bloody Valentine's revolutionary style in its infancy and points the way to Loveless, but it's far more than just a dress rehearsal for the band's moment of greatness. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi