Rock
After Laughter by Paramore
After Laughter
Paramore
2017
Never have sad lyrics sounded so peppy and exciting. Like Neko Case and Rachael Price, Hayley Williams has a super-powered voice that transforms and elevates even the most middling of tracks into something special. I couldn’t care less about the drama around Paramore and just enjoy their musical experimentation.
Recommended Track: Rose Colored Boy
Spirit Youth by The Depreciation Guild
Spirit Youth
The Depreciation Guild
2010
This album is a hot drink after coming in from the cold. It would be easy to mistake it for just another dreamy shoegaze album on your first listen but there is a lot more happening musically in each song. This is an album that begs you to live with it long enough to hear all of its secrets.
Recommended Track: Dream About Me
Lovesongs For Underdogs by Tanya Donelly
Lovesongs For Underdogs
Tanya Donelly
1997
The same year of this album’s release, I was released from high school and we spent many happy hours driving in my car together. If you fell in love with Tanya Donelly from her days with the band Belly like I did, this album has more of those wonderful sounds in store for you.
Recommended Track: Landspeed Song
How Lost by The Fauns
How Lost
The Fauns
2024
I can’t stop listening to this amazing album! I’ve apparently heard single tracks from The Fauns before, sprinkled into playlists, but never stopped to give them a proper listen. I was missing out on some of the most innovative shoegaze being made today.
Recommended Track: Shake Your Hair
Erotica by The Darling Buds
Erotica
The Darling Buds
1992
Low-end distorted guitars, heartbeat bass, and strong drum flairs; the 1990’s is strong with this one. Everything about this album sounds like my youth. Another excellent Welsh band for my collection.
Recommended Track: Please Yourself
Lost Souls by Doves
Lost Souls
Doves
2000
One of my favorite things about shoegaze is not having to pay attention to lyrics. The sounds of this album are a big, warm hug like traveling through a foreign country where you don’t know the language. The impression is more important than the text.
Track recommendation: Catch The Sun
The Big Roar by The Joy Formidable
The Big Roar
The Joy Formidable
2011
An intense explosion of joy escaping from gritted teeth. This is for you who turned down drugs at the music festival to be fully bombarded by the sounds the band played just for you and you will go home having met a part of you that you didn’t know existed before that day.
Track recommendation: Whirring
Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
Blue Weekend
Wolf Alice
2021
If I were a professional reviewer, I would list the multitude of genres and influences each track on this album shape-shifts between. I would also point out its “hot single” but that would be like recommending a random chapter in a book. This whole album is a voyage that rewards you listening to its entirety.
Track recommendation: The whole damn album
Lullabies For Adults by Youth Valley
Lullabies For Adults
Youth Valley
2023
This won’t be everybody’s cup of tea but this album was a real winner with me. The singer vacillates between The Smiths and Depeche Mode while the music is all 1990’s shoegaze.
Track recommendation: Father Forgets
Substance by Joy Division
Substance
Joy Division
1988
Joy Division is one of those bands where intellectually, I know their songs are sad but emotionally, they make me feel good in a deep-down way. If you’re interested, use their hit songs to guide you into the rest of their short-lived catalog.
Track recommendation: Love Will Tear Us Apart
Fever Dreams Pts 1 - 4 by Johnny Marr
Fever Dreams Pts 1 - 4
Johnny Marr
2022
Turns out that the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths doesn’t need Morrissey to make great songs. If you only listen to one song, make it the opening track: Spirit Power and Soul.
Track recommendation: All These Days