Starting to get into shoegaze? This unique genre is known for creating dreamy atmospheres with sound, obscure vocals, feedback, distortion, and amped-up volume. There are plenty of excellent shoegaze albums that are essential listening for any newcomer to the genre (such as My Bloody Valentine’s genre-defining 1991 album Loveless), but we think these four albums deserve some praise and recognition as well. Let’s take a look!
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1. ‘To See The Next Part Of The Dream’ by Parannoul
This more modern gem of shoegaze albums comes from South Korean musician Parannoul. To See The Next Part Of The Dream has all the elements of a gorgeous shoegaze record, but with a few added emo-leaning influences that oddly brighten the whole thing up. It was recently released in 2021, but almost immediately gained a substantial cult fanbase.
2. ‘Heaven Or Las Vegas’ by Cocteau Twins
Even if you’re not super familiar with shoegaze, you probably recognize the title track from this incredible 1990 album. Heaven Or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins has the defining sound of 90s rock music, complete with a dreamy pop atmosphere that hits just right. Elizabeth Fraser’s vocal prowess is incredible, even if you can’t really understand what she’s saying at times. That’s a pretty common shoegaze element, anyway.
3. ‘So Tonight That I Might See’ by Mazzy Star
This is another entry on our list of essential shoegaze albums that you’ve probably heard at least once before, even if you haven’t been searching for shoegaze music specifically. “Fade Into You” is the most well-known track from this 1993 album from Mazzy Star.
However, there are quite a few standout songs on So Tonight That I Might See, from the beautiful and toned-down “Into Dust” to the ascending “Five String Serenade”.
4. ‘23’ by Blonde Redhead
Sometimes, no matter how good your music is, it might fall into “meme” infamy. That’s what happened to Blonde Redhead’s song “For The Damaged Coda”, which played during an episode of Rick And Morty and quickly became an internet meme. They shouldn’t be pigeonholed, though, considering how gorgeous their catalog of music is.
23 was released in 2007 and is so much more than just shoegaze. This polished, stunning record moves between shoegaze and dream pop and art rock and chamber pop in the best way.
Photo by Dave Tonge/Getty Images
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