Ride "Nowhere" [Transparent Curacao Blue Vinyl]

One of the seminal records of the shoegazer movement, Ride's Nowhere typifies all of the best qualities of the movement's sound. Shimmering, psychedelic atmospheres, squalling guitars shot through with distortion, and hypnotic drones balanced by genuine pop songcraft are all on ample display here, and are executed with a precision and mastery that represent the pinnacle of their technique. 'Seagull,' the album's opener, pushed by the swirling twin guitar attack of Andy Bell and Mark Gardener, is simultaneously thunderous and radiant. Surging cuts like 'Polar Bear' testify to Ride's skill at building dynamic tension and ringing sonic drama. But Ride were more than mere noise-merchants; their debt to psychedelic '60s pop also results in some fine songwriting, as the chiming, arepeggiated pop confection 'Taste' reveals. Nowhere is Ride's finest moment, and as a definitive document of shoegazer bliss, it ranks right alongside My Bloody Valentine's classic Loveless.