My friend and I have this monthly tradition of swapping playlists containing songs that we felt defined our month. After listening to each other’s respective playlists, we find a time to call and reflect on how our months went and swap comments on how our music taste changed or stayed the same.
Among our talks about how our January went, my friend pointed out a few songs in my playlist that were more chaotic, erratic, and noisy compared to my usual listening habits of soft-spoken Lo-fi or Indie music. When I told her that those songs were under the shoegaze subgenre, she was puzzled as she had never heard of this musical category before. So now I take it as my responsibility as an avid shoegaze listener to introduce my friend and all of you lovely readers to this amazing and underrated subgenre.
So what is shoegaze?
Shoegaze is a subgenre of alternative rock music characterized by roaring guitars, booming percussion, and dreamy, distorted vocals which create a sometimes overwhelmingly noisy yet almost other-worldly listening experience. In most tracks, the vocals meld with the waves of backing instrumentals producing a multi-textural and layered song, which is what attracts me most to exploring this subgenre of music.
As for its humorous name, this musical subgenre’s name was coined by music journalists who poked fun at the stationary performing style of shoegaze musicians, who would often stare down at their effect pedals, mimicking the action of gazing at their shoes, thus coining the name “shoegaze.”
On the surface, this may sound like an unpleasant and cacophonous music niche to explore; but I find that most shoegaze tracks are rich and complex in both their instrumentation and often melancholic subject matter. I love how I’m able to lose myself in the waves of roiling sound while grasping onto the melodies and arrangement of the song. I also find that it reflects the chaos and business of life while maintaining a sense of structure, which brings forth a sense of comfort to me in the unpredictability of life.
As an introduction to this subgenre, I have compiled a list of 5 shoegaze tracks that I think best encompass this wonderfully whimsical music niche:
“when you sleep” by My Bloody Valentine
No shoegaze playlist is complete without a My Bloody Valentine song. My Bloody Valentine is an Irish-English alt-rock band and is considered to be one of the pioneers of the shoegaze subgenre. Their song, “when you sleep” is a quintessential shoegaze track. The song immediately opens with wailing guitars and consistent crashing cymbals before the appearance of muffled, layered vocals that muse on the simultaneous bliss and uncertainty of love. This song was my introduction to this musical subgenre and remains one of my favorite shoegaze tracks ever.
“When the Sun Hits” by Slowdive
Perhaps their most well-known song, “When the Sun Hits” by the English rock band Slowdive (who is also a prominent figure in the shoegaze scene), features layers of shimmering guitar riffs that encase the listener in the singer’s state of introspection and longing for nostalgia. The song illustrates a dying relationship in which the singer implores their distant partner to see the strength and significance of their love (symbolized by “the Sun”) in an attempt to save their relationship. The juxtaposition of the track’s smashing cymbals and growling guitar riffs in the chorus contrasted with the detached and introspective vocals also creates a layered, compelling, and evocative sonic experience.
“Cherry-coloured Funk” by Cocteau Twins
I would be remiss to not mention Cocteau Twins on this list. Cocteau Twins was a Scottish alt-rock band that also played a hand in shaping the shoegaze subgenre. “Cherry-coloured Funk” is a great example of the ethereal, atmospheric, and dream-like soundscapes of shoegaze tracks. Its lush layers of sound and melody are paired with the smooth and otherworldly vocals of lead singer, Elizabeth Fraser. Admittedly, the meaning of this song is uncertain, as the lyrics on this track are unintelligible and indiscernible (most of the lyrics in tracks by Cocteau Twins are purposefully incomprehensible). For this reason, it’s a great track for listeners looking to immerse themselves in a hazy and enchanting listening experience.
“将死之时掩以水门汀” by 缺省 (Default)
缺省 (which translates to “Default” in English) is a Chinese shoegaze band with a strong emerging presence in the shoegaze scene. “将死之时掩以水门汀” which translates to “Covered in Cement after Death” in English (morbid, I’m aware), is a track off their debut EP California Nebula. This track has a gentle melody with a plucky, diffused guitar riff and steady drum beat, along with soft-spoken, reverb-heavy vocals. Honestly, I’d highly recommend giving this entire EP a listen; it’s only 30 minutes long with lush and dreamy vocals and melodies that are bound to appeal to your senses.
“Vapour Trail” by Ride
Ride is an English rock band and is one of the key figures in the development of the shoegaze subgenre. “Vapour Trail” is one of their most critically acclaimed tracks with a strong drum beat, dynamic melodic structure, and delayed, reverbed guitar riffs—all elements that have come to define the music in this subgenre. This song describes the feelings of temporality and longing associated with love interspersed with refrains containing a “La-la-la-la” melody that reflects the nostalgia of this introspective song.
These are my top 5 picks for the first few shoegaze tracks you should listen to if you’re newly approaching the subgenre, or looking for new tracks to listen to. I hope you enjoy these picks and as always, happy listening!