Nowhere

been meaning to check out more shoegaze, i’ve always liked the little bit i’ve heard in passing. loved this album, bonus points for the cover being hard as hell

aooooo álbum bão esse é bom demais, não tem base me lembra de quando eu era adolescente e escutava ride no escuro 2h da manhã mexendo no pc escondido dos meus pais pq era uma quarta feira e eu tinha aula as 7h

it was a very classic rock vibe, which I like. The sounds were kinda repetitive within most songs, but that made them pretty chill. I would definitely listen to this album on a road trip.

I have a complicated history with this album. The first time I listened to it, I didn't think much of it. It was "okay" at best, and none of the tracks stood out for me. I still believe this, none of the songs stand out, some of them have the capacity of, but there quite get there. Then again, as an album, it is great. Though now I have permanently tainted it, by listening to it while angrily trying to speedrun Super Mario Bros. for NES, and failing every time. So yeah. There's that. 8/10 but I never want to listen to it again.

Some of these songs are sick and I love the shoegaziness. It drags on a tad too long, and it’s also not the best Ride album IMO. Light 4

CATCH UP: NOVEMBER 11 Alright so I haven't heard this thing since I was a literal child, but one thing's for certain: there might be a reason for that? I consistently like it but I prefer my shoegaze with a bit more edge and alt rock lean to it, this still feels very informed by jangle pop and baggy styling that I'm not super into. It's still really good and I'm forced to give it 4 stars thanks to this site's lack of half stars, but man this is the most quintessential 7/10 thing that's ever 7/10ed. Swervedriver is better. 7/10

First introduction to Ride and I really did enjoy it, muddy shoegaze sound with some shimmery dream pop. Made for an enjoyable listen, thought the drumming was great. Maybe I’m way off but kinda sounded like Stephen Morris from Joy Division at times, on Polar Bear especially, maybe that was why I enjoyed that track the most. The vocals aren’t great and that would be my only gripe, Drums Burn Down with Robert Smith singing would actually be a fantastic Cure song, the minute long sprawling opening sounded so great and then the vocals are just meh. Still a really good album. 4 stars

Shoegaze classic. The most organic of the cornerstone shoegaze albums.

This felt like a rockier version of The Stone Roses which makes for a pleasant experience. Maybe that’s mainly because the singer reminds me of Ian Brown rather than the music itself, but there definitely do seem to be some parallels between the production. Despite the distorted guitars, this felt like a very calming listen, making for an enjoyable soundtrack to me going through my Jupyter notebook uni work. This album definitely sounds like 90’s UK britpop/showgaze, so is certainly of its time, but my ears still enjoy it.

Halfway through I’m already pretty sick of the vocal delivery (just very monotonous, little range) but I love the overall vibe and the noisey-screetchy moments are pretty awesome. It’s reminding me a bit of the early Sloan stuff, which I LOVE - except this is a bit less 'pop', less jangly, less... interesting? Overall a good listen for me. I'm stretching this up to a 4 though I'm maybe rounding up from a high 3

I didn't love this but I did like it a lot.

Big album, in a few different senses of the term. This was, at times, a headrush; yet the choppy waters are often becalmed in moments of almost transcendent beauty. I can imagine fancying the kind of girl who likes 'Nowhere'.

A lot of what came after this record is boring and terrible and that makes me want to hate it... But... When pioneers do it right straight out of the gate it's hard to blame them for only a few bands being able to improve upon it.

I really liked this. I think you definitely need to be in a certain vibe to listen to it though.

Pretty great. Wasn't the biggest fan of the vocals at the start but they employ a different style as it goes on (if not a different vocalist altogether). Some beautiful, busy music, in any case. Dreams Burn Down is fantastic.

Like a less daring but more accessible MBV! Vapor Trail is an awesome album closer. Wonder if Andy is gonna do the Oasis reunion shows.

A truly seminal album at a time when this genre was really gaining a foothold. I do prefer shoegaze/Noise in small doses, say one side of a record, but this manages to remain fresh and interesting especially upon second listen

Solid vibes - will relisten. Also, loved the album artwork.

Listening to Ride's Nowhere today has been instructive. From a measurement perspective, this record is a high four rating. But that is beside the point. This record reminds me that my listening pleasure is pinned to a few qualities that must be present in some amount for it to work for me: urgency, dynamics, and melody. Basic stuff, but also there's a critical role that volume plays in a band like Ride where without it you miss a lot of what is there on offer. Ride often seem to be chasing a wave or a washing over you feeling that isn't as effective when it's quiet. When things are quiet you might be able to tell if the song is urgent or if its rhythm is languorously applied and so you may be fooled into a feeling of monotony that volume will reveal shouldn't be an adjective you'd apply at all. Anyway, in short, sometimes the album of the day just needs a second listen with the volume cranked up so you can correct a first impression; e.g. "Sometimes the Ride just doesn't seem to take off. Today's album of the day should've been an easy win. Maybe I was distracted or maybe too many songs were too similar?" Glad I got that sorted and was able to appreciate the record in full.

I like Ride a lot, and this album is nostalgia filled for me

Enjoyable throughout, solid hazy noisiness and good energy

This album might finally get me into shoegaze

**Album Review: *Nowhere* by Ride** *Nowhere* by Ride, released on October 15, 1990, is considered a landmark album in the shoegaze genre, blending dreamy soundscapes with post-punk energy. As the debut full-length album from the British band Ride, it established the group as a key player in the burgeoning shoegaze movement alongside contemporaries like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Below is an in-depth review of *Nowhere*, focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, while also highlighting the album's strengths and weaknesses. ### **1. Music** The sound of *Nowhere* is quintessentially shoegaze, but with a unique spin that sets Ride apart from their peers. Where My Bloody Valentine’s *Loveless* is hazier and more disorienting, Ride’s approach to shoegaze leans into melodicism and structured songwriting. This is apparent right from the opening track, “Seagull,” which features a driving bassline and energetic drumming that propels the song forward with a post-punk vigor, before giving way to waves of reverb-drenched guitars. The band's guitar interplay, particularly between Mark Gardener and Andy Bell, is one of the most distinguishing features of the album. Their use of layered, distorted guitars creates a shimmering wall of sound, but the clarity of their chord progressions and melodic lines ensures that the music remains accessible. The use of effects pedals is prominent, with delay, reverb, and chorus pedals playing a central role in creating the album's ethereal, dreamy quality. Tracks like "Polar Bear" and "Dreams Burn Down" exemplify this blend of dreaminess and intensity. "Polar Bear," in particular, stands out for its unconventional time signature and delicate guitar work, contrasted with heavy distortion that rises and falls in waves, reflecting the band's ability to balance both delicacy and power within a single song. One of the album's biggest musical strengths is its dynamic range. Many songs begin softly or slowly before exploding into chaotic, feedback-laden climaxes. This creates a sense of movement and emotional release that gives *Nowhere* a cathartic quality. However, some critics argue that the album can become repetitive towards the middle, as the band leans heavily on the same guitar textures and production techniques throughout. This gives the album a cohesive sound but can make individual songs blend together for listeners unfamiliar with the genre's conventions. **Pros:** - Masterful use of guitar textures, with intricate interplay between melody and noise. - Strong dynamic contrasts, with songs building to intense, cathartic crescendos. - Catchy melodies and well-structured songwriting make it more accessible than some other shoegaze records. **Cons:** - The reliance on similar guitar effects and textures throughout can make the album feel repetitive. - Some songs, particularly in the middle of the album, lack distinctive hooks or moments, causing them to blur together. ### **2. Lyrics** The lyrics on *Nowhere* are impressionistic, often cryptic, and serve more as another layer of atmosphere rather than the focal point of the songs. Themes of isolation, introspection, longing, and disillusionment run throughout the album. The lyrics rarely tell clear narratives, instead capturing fleeting emotions and abstract thoughts. For example, in “Seagull,” Gardener sings, “You wake up in the morning and you’re finding everything / The same, or are you finding everything has changed?” The lyrics suggest a feeling of being stuck in a cycle of monotony, while also hinting at the possibility of change. These vague and open-ended lines reflect the often ambiguous emotional tone of shoegaze lyrics, where the mood of the music carries more weight than the specific content of the words. Similarly, in “Vapour Trail,” the album's most well-known track, the lyrics are sparse and dreamlike. Lines like “First you look so strong / Then you fade away” evoke a sense of fleeting beauty and loss. The vagueness of the lyrics allows listeners to project their own emotions onto the song, making it a deeply personal and universal experience at the same time. One of the main critiques of *Nowhere*'s lyrics is that they lack the depth or specificity that some listeners might expect. For fans of more narrative-driven songwriting, the abstract, almost impressionistic quality of the lyrics might feel underdeveloped or secondary to the music. However, within the context of shoegaze, where vocals are often treated as just another instrument, the lyrics on *Nowhere* serve their purpose well. **Pros:** - Abstract, poetic lyrics enhance the dreamlike atmosphere of the album. - Universal themes of longing, isolation, and disillusionment make the songs emotionally resonant. **Cons:** - Lyrics are often vague and lack depth, which may alienate listeners looking for more narrative or thematic substance. - Vocals can be buried in the mix, making the lyrics hard to discern at times. ### **3. Production** The production on *Nowhere* plays a crucial role in shaping its sound. Produced by Marc Waterman, the album is characterized by its dense, layered sound, with guitars enveloped in reverb and delay. The production is lush and immersive, which is essential for creating the album's shoegaze atmosphere. The vocals are often mixed low, blending in with the rest of the instrumentation rather than sitting on top of it. This is a hallmark of shoegaze production, and while it can make the lyrics difficult to discern, it also helps to reinforce the dreamlike, otherworldly quality of the music. The drums and bass are given more prominence in the mix than in many other shoegaze albums, which gives *Nowhere* a sense of momentum and energy. This helps to differentiate Ride’s sound from the more ethereal, amorphous soundscapes of bands like Slowdive. For example, tracks like "Seagull" and "Decay" feature driving, almost punk-like rhythms that push the songs forward with urgency. While the production of *Nowhere* is largely praised, there are moments where the dense layers of sound can feel overwhelming, particularly for listeners unfamiliar with shoegaze. The mix can become muddy in places, with the guitars and effects pedals sometimes overshadowing the vocals and other instruments. **Pros:** - Lush, immersive production that perfectly captures the dreamy, atmospheric sound of shoegaze. - Strong emphasis on bass and drums, giving the album more energy and punch than many shoegaze records. **Cons:** - The dense layers of sound can become overwhelming or muddy at times. - Vocals are often buried in the mix, making them hard to distinguish from the guitars. ### **4. Themes** *Nowhere* touches on themes of isolation, disillusionment, and existential longing, but in a way that feels impressionistic rather than didactic. Many of the songs seem to deal with personal reflection and emotional ambivalence, as well as a sense of yearning for something just out of reach. "Vapour Trail" is perhaps the clearest example of this, with its themes of loss and fading beauty. The song is a meditation on impermanence and the fragility of human relationships. The image of a "vapour trail" suggests something fleeting and transient, which ties into the broader theme of emotional disconnection that runs throughout the album. Other tracks, like "In a Different Place" and "Dreams Burn Down," explore themes of alienation and dissatisfaction. These themes are enhanced by the dreamlike quality of the music, which often feels like it's floating in a hazy, in-between state. There’s a sense of melancholy and introspection that permeates the album, but it’s balanced by moments of catharsis and release, particularly in the more dynamic sections of the songs. While these themes are not unique to *Nowhere*—many shoegaze albums explore similar emotional terrain—Ride handles them with subtlety and nuance, allowing the music to carry much of the emotional weight. **Pros:** - Themes of isolation, longing, and disillusionment are conveyed effectively through both lyrics and music. - The balance between melancholy and catharsis gives the album emotional depth. **Cons:** - Themes are often vague and underdeveloped, which might leave some listeners wanting more lyrical or thematic clarity. ### **5. Influence and Legacy** *Nowhere* has had a significant influence on the shoegaze genre and beyond. While My Bloody Valentine’s *Loveless* is often considered the definitive shoegaze album, *Nowhere* holds a special place for its accessibility and melodic sensibility. The album helped to bring shoegaze to a wider audience, bridging the gap between the underground and more mainstream indie rock listeners. The album's influence can be heard in later bands that blend shoegaze with more traditional rock and pop structures. Bands like DIIV, Beach House, and Nothing have cited *Nowhere* as an influence, and the album's fusion of dreamy soundscapes with driving rhythms has become a blueprint for many modern shoegaze and dream pop acts. However, *Nowhere*'s influence extends beyond shoegaze. Its combination of post-punk energy with lush, atmospheric production helped pave the way for bands in the indie rock and alternative scenes of the '90s and 2000s. Its lasting impact can be seen in the resurgence of shoegaze in the 2010s, with many contemporary artists drawing inspiration from the sound and aesthetic of *Nowhere*. **Pros:** - A landmark album in the shoegaze genre, influencing countless bands in shoegaze, dream pop, and indie rock. - Its blend of accessibility and experimentalism has ensured its lasting appeal over decades. **Cons:** - While influential, *Nowhere* has sometimes been overshadowed by other shoegaze albums, particularly *Loveless* by My Bloody Valentine. ### ** Conclusion** *Nowhere* by Ride is a quintessential shoegaze album that combines dreamy soundscapes with post-punk energy and melodic sensibility. Its strengths lie in its masterful use of guitar textures, dynamic songwriting, and emotional depth. While its abstract lyrics and dense production may alienate some listeners, the album's influence on the shoegaze and indie rock scenes is undeniable. With its themes of isolation, longing, and disillusionment, *Nowhere* remains a timeless exploration of the human experience, cloaked in layers of shimmering sound. **Overall Pros:** - Intricate guitar work and dynamic song structures. - Dreamy, immersive production. - Emotional depth and thematic resonance. **Overall Cons:** - Repetition in guitar textures can make the album feel monotonous in places. - Vague lyrics may lack depth for some listeners.

The opening and closing tracks are some of shoegaze's greatest, but the middle never really stuck with me. I still think this is a good album, but Loveless and especially Souvlaki have it beat by a country mile. Either a strong 3 or a weak 4 - I'm feeling generous today though.

Production sounds a bit muddy but there are some really good moments on this album. Andy Bells guitar sounds really big at times despite the bass and drums sounding squashed. I thought the album was a bit on the long side, there are a couple of tracksthat are filler, but I will definitely listen to it again. 8/10

While I'm not a massive fan of shoegaze, it is a genre I kind of like. I bought this album on release (I think partly because it was on Creation!). It's a significant album in the sense it one of the main shoegazy type albums and influential in that genre. I bet these guys were great live.

4/5

An excellent choice! I’ve come to realize that the alternative that I grew up listening to in the 90s was really the end of a movement that had gas in the 80s as well. And while Nirvana should get credit for popularizing a certain sound, bands like Ride were already breaking the mold before Nevermind.

This was fantastic until the vocals came in, then it plummeted downhill... that's a shame, I was just thinking of adding it to my running playlist. Backing, beat, bass, drums and guitars are really infectious - the vocals are just terrible. But after half a dozen back to back plays, it grew on me. This is easiy the best shoegaze I've heard.

4 - Reminded me a of a more cohesive version of ‘hail to the theif’ some tracks really give me Radiohead vibes, but they’re much easier and soothing to listen to

Once again, slightly pissed that I haven't heard this before but really pleased though to have finally heard it. Ahead of its time. The massive, nearly overwhelming wash of guitar wouldn't work nearly as well without the bombast of the rhythm section, which 'swings' a little, for lack of a better term. The slightly out of tune singing is MY only complaint, but it has a unique charm. And it's not just a constant barrage. There are some subtle moments, a wide range of emotion. I can see Radiohead using this as a bit of a template for sure. But Ride is blast of dark energy that has a spontaneity that Radiohead never approached, a dreamy unpolished rawness.

Seagull. Great start! Boom, gets your foot tapping right off the bat. bright guitar tones, delay on the vocals. Flange.

Первый шугейз альбом в списке для меня. Я никогда не был крупным фаном группы Ride, мне всегда казалось, что на фоне MBV и Slowdive они меркнут. Но одновременно с этим не впечатлять на фоне таких гигантов жанра, да и музыки в целом, - это совсем не стыдно. Тем более впечатляюще, что этим людям было в районе 20, когда этот альбом вышел. Это хороший альбом, который звучит чуть менее шугейз, чем хотелось бы, но всё же далеко не альт-рок начала 90-ых или там инди-рок любого периода. Лучшая песня - Dreams Burn Down.

I have not heard this band since the early 90s. This is a nice blast from the past. So 1990. Think I like this more now. Seagull is a banger. The whole album is an easier listen than I expected. Nice head bopping background music. Not too loud, but not boring either. A really good example of the style of the time. 4/5

The second I started listening to this album I thought to myself “oh God, this is the kind of shit some douche bag from pitchfork with a foldable bicycle who hates kombucha ever since it’s sold out think is awesome“. And, of course it is!. It’s also the kind of shit that this list has absolutely tons of when so many other genres are under represented or not represented at all. Having said that I can’t hate this album, this was great. I’m not giving it five stars but a solid four star album and Something I’m definitely gonna listen to again

¿Recuerdan cuando les dije, respecto de un disco de Sonic Youth, que me gusta escuchar maás melodía en mi ruido? Pues a esto me refiero. Sé que las comparaciones pueden ser odiosas, pero creo que en este caso la comparación es apta: este disco me gusta más que la pesadez de Loveless (o cualquier disco de mbv), precisamente porque acá hay más melodías.

Great

Never liked the term "shoegaze" but I do like most music that falls under the umbrella. The droning wall of noise here is great. Vocals and melodies feel very brit-pop before it was really a thing. Sounds like something that would be absolutely immersive (in the best way) played live. My only complaint is I find it easy to drift off in thought while listening to it rather than maintain focus on it. Typical of this type of music, and inarguably more of a me problem. This will definitely be something I listen to again. Seems like it would be really good for long drives alone.

Very nice. Daddy like.

I feel very mellow

Really good album, would ha R been great with shorter tracks and more focus. One to listen to again

Really sick album - can't wait to listen to more Ride. Worth breaking EU law by turning up my headphones all the way. Love the drums, love the distortion, love all the little melodies, and most of all love the badass cover. Best Track: Vapor Trail Worst Track: Decay

I know a fair amount about shoegaze. Maybe more than the average person. But my knowledge is definitely still limited. And it seems like the number of artists who make shoegaze music, or anything adjacent to the genre, is endless. But Ride is a band I was vaguely familiar with before today. I’ve tried a couple of times to listen to this album, actually. But I was never able to make it past the first song. I just found it a little boring past that point. This debut from them seems to be quite popular with shoegaze fans, and people often place them at the top with some of the most important bands like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. I’m not sure what I was thinking in the past, because after hearing this whole thing, I see where the reputation comes from. I find this to be a very worthwhile experience for a shoegaze album. I still believe that the opening track, Seagull, is by far the best song here. Something about the way it comes in really gets me amped up. But everything else is consistently solid. Compared to some of the other most popular albums in the genre, this one feels much more drum heavy. But the guitars, and the effects that they play around with, are still very distorted and spaced out. I never thought I’d admit this, considering how much I disliked it, but the “influence” that people claim Psychocandy had can actually be felt here. Also, the impact that this album had on britpop is pretty interesting to hear. Because shoegaze and britpop aren’t exactly associated with each other. But it would only be a couple of years before britpop made its big breakthrough into the mainstream. Go back and listen to something like (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. It’s kind of weird hearing the small similarities between the two. I don’t know if I would put this album up there with the likes of the best this genre has to offer. But it’s still very good, and it was nice to see representation like this on the list. Rating: 8/10

A classic - tune after tune - a little lull in the middle or it would have been a 5

An essential album

Just as The Jesus And Mary Chain's *Psychocandy* a few days ago, this Ride album, supposedly their magnum opus, might be slightly overrated. My main gripe with it is that it's status as a 'shoegaze' essential record seems a bit unwarranted. What *Nowhere* offers on its first side, for instance, is more bent towards some sort of early, borderline-lo-fi and admittedly "hazy" version of the nineties britpop frenzy about to submerge the UK than anything that sounds perfectly close to Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine. Too many airy major chords and not enough genuine melancholia. Sound is important, but music matters too. And here the music might be a little mundane or predictable, as decent as it is. Add some vocal parts and harmonies that have a flimsy grasp of pitch on some cuts--and not necessarily in any endearing ways given the intent to immerse the listener in an all-encompassing soundscape--and you may get the impression that Ride's reach exceeds their grasp at times. It's true that the last three songs in the album eventually up the ante in the shoegaze idiom in ways that make listening to the album from start to finish enjoyable at least. "Decay" is a driven exercise in repetitive, obsessive mania. "Paralysed" is somewhat moving thanks to its plaintive chorus. And "Vapour Trail" ends the LP on a very high note, thanks to its pretty guitar riff, the timeless and strangely dignified aspects of its la-la-la vocal hook, and its elegant use of a string section until the very last seconds of the original record. Plus, the sprinkling of psychedelic influences here and there during the course of this album have aged quite well, all things considered. That said, if truly you want stellar shoegaze records, I'm pretty sure there's half a dozen of them that are more efficient than this particular LP in this overall genre. The question is: "is there room for more?". As of now, I'm gonna say 'yes'. But for what it's worth, the global score of *Nowhere* on this app--a perfect 3 signifying an album that globally neither irks average listeners nor triggers a tidal wave of enthusiasm among them--emphasizes an intermediate position that prevents this LP from reaching a perfect score in my eyes. Ride's music was probably noticed in 1990 because, apart from The La's and The Stone Roses, there was not much competition in the British rock idiom at the time (at least when it came to interesting acts). Yet retrospectively, *Nowhere* looks like a ripple on the surface of a quiet sea, and not like the tsunami everyone said it was. A ripple pleasant to your eyes and ears. But a ripple nonetheless. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for general musical competency + 3 for the artistic flair +0.5 for the album's "impact") Number of albums left to review: 133 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 375 (including this one, mostly for the "impact" it had at the time, once again) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 221 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 279

These guys sound like if Oasis made a shoegaze record. Unlike other shoegaze artists, I liked these guys. They are apparently one of the "Big 3" of the genre. Unlike other shoegaze bands, these guys display musical talent, and seem to enjoy making music. Interesting to hear a harmonica in shoegaze music. Favourite songs: Taste, In a Different Place, Polar Bear, Dreams Burn Down, Kaleidoscope, Seagull, Unfamiliar, Nowhere Least favourite songs: Paralysed 4/5

Noisy shoegaze that could use just slightly more catchy melodies to really stand out.

What really makes Ride stand out from their showgaze contemporaries is their heavier and more straightforward approach to the genre. When they fully emerge themselves in this, as on “Dreams Burn Down”, they really are in a league of their own - it’s just not often enough that they fully indulge in this.

A good album with nice and relaxed music. I liked Decay and paralysed the best.

They scratch a certain itch but left me wanting something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Enjoyed this quite a bit! Came out of nowhere but it was a fun ride! 🌊

I used to be kinda cold on shoe gaze but recently I’ve been coming around to it and this album has made me want to explore even more!

Understated, thoughtfully composed, and even a little jangly. Some of the vocal mixing is a bit muddy, but it is a shoegaze album I guess. I'll be revisiting. Highlights: Seagull, In a Different Place, Vapour Trail

Pretty good shoegaze album. Doesn't go quite as wacky as some other shoegaze efforts though.

First time I’ve listened to a ‘shoe gaze’ genre before, though I really enjoyed this. Very syrupy, cool flow. 3.8

Awesome

I’m not familiar with this album or artist, but I thought this was a really good shoegaze album, and I enjoyed listening to it. The guitar playing really helped give this album a cohesive feel, but I loved that the songs all had really unique guitar parts, giving each song it’s own distinct sound. The album started off fine, but it really took off for me at “Polar Bear,” which I absolutely loved. The distorted guitar and the more melodic guitar blended together perfectly, and I thought this song featured some of the best vocals on the album. “Dreams Burn Down,” “Vapour Trail,” “Taste,” and “Here and Now” were some of my other favorite songs on the album. The harmonica on “Here and Now” worked really well, and that element helped keep this album interesting even well into the later tracks. I wasn’t wowed by the vocals on my first listen, but after skipping around through the album again, they really grew on me. This is an album that I want to listen to more, and I have a feeling that it’s really going to grow on me if I’m able to revisit it. This was a really nice discovery today.

I’ve seen a lot of bands described as shoegaze that aren’t really shoegaze. This is what I really expect when I think of shoegaze. Moody, airy, maybe kind of bland at times, but backed up with great instrumentation and a cohesive wall of sound. I listened to the deluxe edition, and it’s really long - maybe a little too long - but I did like it quite a bit.

Huh. Needs headphones. I liked it. I think I liked it? It was fun to listen to, and I liked the vocals. 4.

Ride's "Nowhere" is third in the holy trinity of shoegaze albums (the other two being MBV's "Loveless" and Slowdive's "Souvlaki"). It still doesn't get nearly the love it deserves imo. I think Ride did a really good job at transforming some pretty straightforward post-punk songs into noisy psychedelic monsters. I listened to this late at night staring at the ceiling and it really aided the experience.

Gaze at them shoes

Very stone roses, Brit rock. Good album. Took me back to the late nineties

A great shoegaze classic

Great shoegaze album, really liked the combination of moody vocals and guitars with those high-energy drums.

“Ride on, brother “

63/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

I have to say, this album took me two listens to really appreciate. At first pass, I took it as a bit of a wall of sound. And in some respects, I think that is exactly the point of some of the production. However, digging a bit deeper, there is a lot of complexity in here and some really beautiful songs: Vapour Trail is an obvious standout for its open prettiness, but I also love the vacillation between pretty post-rock (a la Explosions in the Sky) guitar and wall of sound charges on display in Dreams Burn Down. Also love In a Different Place -- its in no rush and wraps around you like a warm blanket. For a shoegaze album, I really enjoyed this one and will be back again for more. Strong 4 / 5.

I have not heard this band since the early 90s. This is a nice blast from the past. So 1990. Very Stone Roses. I remember trying to find this album at the time, and the biggest record store in Manhattan had no idea what I was talking about. But they didn’t know Blur either. I think I like this more now. Seagull is a banger. The whole album is an easier listen than I expected. Nice head bopping background music. Not too loud, but not boring either. A really good example of the style of the time.

Very great album, even if it drags a bit sometimes. If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go gaze at my shoes now. Best Song: Vapour Trail Worst Song: Paralysed Underrated Gem: In a Different Place They Stole Taxman's Bassline: Seagull Album Score: 8/10

Beautifully swirling shoegaze, with a drum-forward sensibility, jangling guitars, bittersweet melodies, and just enough noise to keep it interesting. Total mood of an album. Fave Songs: Vapour Trail, In a Different Place, Polar Bear, Decay, Kaleidoscope

Wow. Near perfect instrumentals and the only real drawback is the vocals are too droning in parts. This project is getting me into 90's Britpop/shoegaze (expect for Radiohead, I'll never like them).

Delightful. Very much my jam. Although thinking about the album a few hours after listening to it, its vibes are more memorable than its hooks.

Very good, surprisingly tuneful and melodic shoegaze, not as abrasive as MBV or as ethereal as Slowdive. I’ve heard some of their subsequent music and I liked it fine, but this is very very good.

The songs are not so special but the chiming guitar sound more than makes up for that.

I find it fitting that there is a track here called Vapour Trail, because listening to this behemoth collection of album plus two extended plays felt voluminous yet the memory of certain compositions are fleeting. There are great songs throughout and it is very deserving of its place in the shoegaze pantheon, I just needed to be in a proper place for it to fully indulge and immerse myself in it. Favorites: Seagull, In a Different Place, Polar Bear, Dreams Burn Down, Decay, Vapour Trail, Taste, Nowhere, Beneath, Today.

Meanders it's merry way.

There's so many layers to this album. The mood shifts from calm to a full on panic attack with the change of a chord. I love the structure and repeating patterns as the sounds build up. It's hard to believe that Ride were all under 20 when this was recorded. It has such an innocent charm, yet sounds like the work of a band already full into their stride. A major, major debut.

Had never heard of Ride and was confused to have a band from the 90s I hadn't heard before. Holy cow was I blown away. I've become more of a shoegaze fan in the last ten years or so but never really ventured outside of older staples (MBV, J&tMC, Coceau Twins) and this was a delight. Definitely adding into my rotation

I did not like the vocals but it was a really good shoegaze album. Especially considering that they used a damn multi effect for guitars haha. It doesnt come close to Loveless, but still a solid one.

Very much encompasses the 90s alternative/indie sound.

No conocía éste grupo y la verdad, suena bien. Un pop - rock suave.

Definitely the peak of Ride. But not the peak of the sound, which is very niche and is not readily transferrable to bands or to create a 'scene'. Shoegaze is kind of weird that way. Perhaps all the fuzz and feedback simply takes too much of the nuance out it unless your Kevin Shields.

Really cool album! It made me think of a harder Stone Roses. The guitars rip, it feels like a wall of fuzz and distortion crashing over you. I dug it a lot, and I'm sure it's a pivotal album in the shoegaze genre

Budget Oasis. Didn’t like that the vocals were more in the background than the foreground, as dull/draggy as they were at times. Still good shoe gaze record, especially when it avoided being overly prog rocky.

I liked this album, 4 stars

amazing album, one of the shoegaze holy trio

Classic

Fakka med dette albumet

I never paid much attention to Ride in the early 1990s, but this album makes me realise what I missed.

The smiths!!???

I liked this. The only part I wasn’t sold on what the singing, at times it wasn’t what I thought worked best with the music, and a bit cheesy, but overall good album.

I'm glad I got this album when I did because I feel like a was able to appreciate it a lot more than if I had gotten it before my shoegaze epiphany with mbv. This was shoegaze mixed with British pop vocals which I wasn't sure about but it grew on me after a while. I especially liked seagulls, vapor trails, and taste. There was a stretch I probably missed because I was distracted trying to find parking at work but I still liked it overall. I also recently saw a reddit post about the 4chan /mu/ list of music and how lists like this don't allow you to fully experience an album and associate it with events in your life (e.g. me with radiohead) and only serve to allow you to tick boxes on a list. It really made me think about all the times that I said an album was good but kind of blurred together and wonder how much I've missed out in fully understanding these albums. On the flip side, I thought about all the times I listened to an album I got from this list on a certain point and it really affected me (e.g. Moondance by van morrisson or selected ambient works). I think I have gotten quite a bit more than just exposure out of this list but I do think that I've probably missed out on quite a bit by listening to a new album every single day, which makes me want to go back through a selection of the albums and relisten once I'm fully done with the list; because the Reddit post was definitely right about one thing: there's nothing better than actually discovering a new album or genre and having an associated memory with it.

In the minority in that I like Going Blank Again better but this is still very solid

My other ride is your mom

Surprised I had not heard this before

shoegaze is a new genre for me but i could def get behind this. loved seagull, polar bear, dreams burn down, vapour trail, taste. good, noisy, and a bit-samey songs that I had a fun time with and that gave my bf a headache.

This album can take you on a journey I can totally picture them on stage staring at their sneakers and taking the audience on a moody trip

Better than average. I generally enjoyed it. I love the album cover.

Seagull - 8/10 Kaleidoscope- 7.5/10 In a different place - 7.5/10 Polar bear - 8/10 Dreams burn down - 8/10 Decay - 7.5/10 Paralyzed - 7.5/10 Vapour trail - 10/10 Taste - 8/10 Here and now - 8/10 Nowhere - 7.5/10 Unfamiliar - 8/10 Sennen- 8.5/10 Beneath - 9/10 Today - 9/10 TOTAL - 122/150

Good shoegaze. More generic than Loveless, the other shoegaze album I’ve heard, but songs like ‘Vapor Trail’ are still great.

Minner litt om the Stone roses? Eller kanskje ikke, men kult jaffal!

Better than a lot of the 90s British rock we’ve had, but still not perfect. Nothing remarkable to say one way one way or another.

Really enjoyed this. I could definitely see myself putting it on again.

Psychedelic start to the record, could easily be from 1967. The later songs were much more shoegaze-y and appealing to me. Good record, and I can see where the influence went in a good way. I’m a big fan of MBV Loveless, and lean more to that sound than this, but really did enjoy some of the tracks here.

I liked this album a lot. Didn't quite love it. Will play it again, though, no doubt about that.

This was a surprisingly good album. I do not know why I have never listened to them before. My initial reaction was "I can not believe I have to listen through all of this", but by the end of the expanded album I immediately started from the beginning again.

Probably the most underrated of the "holy trinity" of shoegaze albums. I'm surprised it doesn't get as much love as loveless or souvlaki, as i think it holds up to those two albums. seagull is a noise pop masterpiece, and vapor trail is a borderline perfect pop song. good ass album

Alright, didnt hate it, nice chill out sounds.

One of the few Shoegaze bands I adore. The genre never really clicked with me, but when I discovered this album, I grew more towards it. I still have lots to discover, but this is a great start point and to reference while trying out new records! 8 out of 10

Great album! I really enjoyed the instrumentals.

Honestly I think Ride are kinda second rate shoegaze, I'd put this album below at least a half dozen other shoegaze/nugaze albums that are better. And that's not even counting My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive lol. But I still just love shoegaze in general, basically my favorite genre within rock music. So... It still gets a 4, I love most of the songs. But they're no Slowdive.

Soms een beetje gorki vibes? I like it. Wel weer te lang

Ensimmäinen shoegaze-levy, johon aikoinaan tykästyin ja toimii edelleen! Tässä on jotain sympaattisempaa kuin MBV:ssä, vaikkei soundit ihan samalla tavalla säväytä.

Shoegazey goodness after an ass opener.

Never heard it before

jedan od najboljih shoegaze albuma. Vapour Trail je nešta najdivnije <3

i really want to give this a 5 but even though i put this album on every now and again i rarely see it out. vapour trail is like a warning that the next however many songs are fairly samey and more like a live sound. that said, they are a very good live band but you need the added volume, the lights and the performance element to make it sound better. live albums are rarely any good for that reason and Ride are more of a live band than a recorded one, much like all the other shoegaze bands.

Rode

Instantly loved this

It was fun!

Really surprised by this, it took me a bit to get into, but once 'Dreams Burn Down' dropped, I was hooked and didn't look back. Loved the listening experience, takes you on a wholly cathartic journey. 4.5/5 Fav track: Dreams Burn Down

Had a really lovely listening experience with this and its absolutely making the errands/cleaning rotation. Love how the shoegazey elements blended with heavier/grungier passages that felt incredibly visceral. The vocals floating over each track, a tambre which can sometimes really piss me off, completely worked for me here. Four and a half. Fave track: Dreams Burn Down

Happy listening to this album again. I don’t mean to be blow it out of proportion as one of the very top-tier 90s records but I kinda love it even for Vapour Trail alone. I really get pulled in by the textured guitars and dreamy vocals. Maybe some stuff in here a bit derivative by some of your bigger 70s and 80s alt bands, and the runtime can be testing, but still a good one in my books. A solid addition to the genre, and a perfect three and a halfer for me. Fave track: Vapour Trail / Today

Hadn't heard of this one before but it sure made for a good follow-up after starting the day with The Jesus and Mary Chain's 'Psychocandy.' I feel like I spent a good portion of my life thinking shoegaze was something different than what it is, which has opened up a wonderful world of late discovery for me recently. Quite dug this one and imagine I'll spend more time with sooner than later.

A lovely little bit of shoegaze! Well quite a lot it was a long album weren't it. But I already liked Ride and knew some of the hits. As Luke says with Ride the hits are so good and then there can be a bit of mediocrity among some of the others. I do agree but overall I really enjoyed listening. The overall sound appeals to me. Bad lyrics on occasion but Luke says that's part of shoegaze

a bit heavy for my taste - seemed like it would be great for a jog

Great album especially for the raining weather.

It's quite a good shoegaze genre album - kind of Stone Roses, but harder, and without the pop glaze in the songs. It's kind of the Kyuss to the Queens of the Stone Age for stoner-genre. That said, it's a great listen, memorable and strong and I'm amazed I never got the hear this before. A truly lovely discovery.

One of the pillars of shoegaze. Nowhere, despite its title, does in fact go somewhere-managing to combine tight arrangements with a general hazy feeling.

Pretty good, I give it 4 stars because it was clearly ahead of its time.

Very brit grunge sound - Oasis comes to mind. Heavy guitar, lots of distortion. It's OK.

Really enjoyed it. Was expecting more of a cavernous void of sound given it's status, but an enjoyable trip nonetheless

Every song is good. No song is great. There are better shoe gaze records from this era. But this is a fun listen.

My love of shoegaze is well known. This isn't my favorite of that genre (my favorite is My Bloody Valentine of course) but I do love the shushing, whooshing, whirling vibes. I'd much rather listen to this than probably 75% of this list. Therefore it gets a 4/5 from me. Solid, interesting, and enjoyable, but not my all time favorite.

When I listened to a bunch of indie rock in the late 2000s (and was coincidentally friends with not one but two professional music critics), the term "shoegazy" always came up and I knew exactly what they were talking about: distorted wall of guitar sound, sparkling, plinky guitar, and watery vocals. I'm ashamed to admit, I had no idea that shoegaze was an actual short-lived micro genre of the 90s. But apparently I love it, and by the third song in, I realized I loved this album as well. So why 4 stars and not 5? Well, one of my requirements for a 5-star (nearly perfect) album is that there is diversity. So while this is apparently a top-3 shoegaze album, every song follows the same formula. It's fantastic, but by the time I hit "Decay", I was ready for something new. Still, literally every single song resonated with me, and I can see myself including this album as a regular part of my rotation. 4.5/5

Psychedelic grunge. The Byrds of the 90s.

I wasn't aware of this album but it was pretty good, a very 90s sound but that's no bad thing.

Nice album cover. It's very simple but the band name and album title really fit in there perfectly. This surprised me as it came ~out ~of ~nowhere. Never heard of the band or album or any of these songs. It's a nice sound. Came out in 1990 but still has that hangover from the 1980s soft vocals like The Cure. Overall I really liked it.

Dette er jo sinnsykt bra, hvordan kan jeg aldri ha hørt eller hørt om Ride? bra balanse av støy, basslinjer, progresjon og vakre melodiske temaer.

Très intéressant, définitivement à revisiter. Pas surpris que ce soit un album important dans le paysage showgaze.

For a debut album, this is great! The vibes are a bit edgy but super smooth! Great riffs and lovely aerial vocals. I would listen to it again for sure. 3.75/4

It's "medium loud" shoegaze. Great sixties-inspired vox, muscular bass, jangly guitar. There's a little bit of The Smiths in here and possibly some Stone Roses. Very pretty arrangements and some really catchy moments in as well. The sounds on the record are great but the cover of this album put it over the top. Incredible!

wettastic

Genre: Shoegaze 4/5 Shoegaze, a genre defined by its part-noise rock/part-dream pop alignments, is not a genre I often venture towards. As much as I enjoy rock music, the more loud, distorted, reverb-heavy records of the 80s-90s are very hit-or-miss for me, and it took this album coming up in my random daily album for me to finally fully take the dive. I've tried Loveless before, My Bloody Valentine's famous LP, and Shoegaze's crown jewel (as well as one of the best albums ever made, according to critics and listeners), and I found it droning and incessant, and not in a good way. While I'll patiently await Loveless's turn on my docket, Ride's Nowhere was quite the pleasant surprise for me! The album overall had a similar noise factor, but was also paired with a more noise pop-oriented approach, not giving into the truly aggressive sonic side of the genre, and it pays off big time. With more focus on structure and journey rather than density and loudness, Ride concocted something both accessible and challenging. The intro, Seagull, with gentle touches of jangle pop and space rock, is a prefect start to the record, and the album proceeds cautiously yet ambitously, with the first half of the album wrapping up with the dreamy and heavy Dreams Burn Down. To round out the album's second half (before the CD bonus tracks start that is), Vapour Trail is a real triumph. The track builds itself up beautifully, almost hitting the same sort of emotional high one would anticpate on a Cocteau Twins record. A really great listen, and one that I will enjoy revisiting at a later date. Real solid record.

As a shoegaze fan, I found myself subconsciously avoiding this LP for some reason. Found it refreshing to dive in and find a rich, substantial album that escapes feeling dated while delivering on a wide sonic palette. The early Britpop foundations of shoegaze as a genre shine here, imbuing a strong melodic body without carrying over the awful remnants of the 80s. Not every track finds its own voice, but those that do stun with the heavy guitar lines that would become fundamental in later gazer works.

This album was incredible. My bloody valentine is one of my favorite bands but I’m actually not that familiar with shoegaze beyond them, and this definitely didn’t disappoint. The trippy and vibey instrumentation took me to another world and for a moment anything felt possible

I'm surprised that I've never heard of this album, or the band for that matter. I hear a lot of different influences in this music. First, there is definitely some '60s psychedelic rock, followed by a hint of Pink Floyd. There is also an element of the "wall of sound" production style and even a bit of Oasis. Underneath all of this is some pretty good Rock & Roll. I will probably listen to this again and maybe try one of their other records as well

A pleasant post-punk album. Heavy, melodic, slow-flowing rock with ethereal vocal. Highlight: Paralysed

Słaba czwórka, ciężko mi uzasadnić ten wybór. Nie ma żadnego wyróżniającevgo się utworu, ale słuchało się znacząco przyjemniej niż wielu albumów dotychczas ocenionych na 3. Jest bardzo spójny brzmieniowo, wokal mi się całkiem podoba. Może nieco na wyrost oceniam, ale co tam.

An old favourite, but I am not sure I ever listened to it end to end - vinyl was a pain Still good - might prefer later stuff

I really like the wave noises

I was introduced to shoegaze as a subgenre in the last year, and I really enjoy it. This album is one of my favorite examples. It's more lyrical than Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, which is my other favorite showgaze album (extremely obvious picks, I know). The lyrics blend into the music well. The instrumentals and production are excellent. This is also one of the few albums that I feel like listening to the songs added with the reissues benefited the album. A really solid album all the way through 4/5

Somewhere between the mountainous figures that are grunge, punk, and electronica, a delicate subgenre lies: shoegaze. And what exactly is it, gazing at a shoe until you hallucinate? Something like that. Do valleys have summits? It's weird to call "Nowhere" the summit of this curious valley, but it is. Wooshy guitars, dreamy vocals, trance-y drums... it's a perfect background music, but it can be more than that. This album is the best representation of the genre. A ride across nowhere, but a ride nonetheless. PS. Just listen to the original first 8 tracks. The bonus tracks dragged the album A LOT, and those tracks are the reasons why I disliked this album at the first listen.

جمييييييل

"Ride" the wave of sound! It's awesome. Actually enjoyed this sort of shoegaze more than Loveless. It's got a very british edge to it, which I could take or leave, but the soundscape in combination with the band's style of songwriting is a wonderful listen. I just wish some of it stuck with me more, but repeat listens can help with this.

Every song is amazing, even the bonus material on the reissue.

Pretty good! I like more prominent vocals but generally a fan of this music style. Psychedelic rock, maybe? Reminds me a little of Tool, Pink Floyd in some parts, Steven Wilson for sure.

need to relisten but defo my kind of thing

Stunning debut! I was 18 when this came out and Ride's brand of Shoegaze was music I could lost in. This album and the first eps dominated my walkman for many months that year. I had a long sleeve t-shirt with the cover on it that I got from their Australian tour and it wore it with pride. For me this is a perfect blend of a sonic onslaught and Byrdsesque jangle pop. Stand out tracks are Polar Bear and Vapour trail. Four stars because as much as I love this, it still doesn't capture how good they were live or the perfection of their first eps.

I really liked this album Rating: 8/10

Feels like 80’s kid listened to a lot of Big Star. Psychedelic garage rock. Youthful. Lovely.

So… guess I like shoegaze?? I don’t care for the anemic vox (this is becoming a theme…). I hate how it seems like he’d rather be doing anything else. Especially when every other aspect of this is actually brilliant. Driving rhythm section. Good use of dynamics and harmonic tension. Creative macro and micro songwriting. Put Thom Yorke or PJ Harvey or Phoebe Bridgers in charge of vocals and you’ve got an all-timer.

I like this a lot. Like a bridge between 80s new wave/dream pop and 90s alt rock and shoegaze with 60s pop rock harmonies.

It's curious how this is counted as a shoegaze album when, with the exception of a song like "Dreams Burn Down", it's mostly just neo-psychedelic britpop with distorted guitars. Great album, great songs and a great rhythm section

I was expecting nothing and was pleasantly surprised. This album is a nice listen while I am working on a rainy day, but I probably will not come back to it again

Dawno nie bylo shoegazowania, wiec mila odmiana po ostatnich dosc popowych pickach, debiutancki album bandy z oxfordu, bandy ktora slysze pierwszy raz, ale tak to jest jak sie jest ignorantem muzycznym, orginalne wydanie vinylowe liczylo 38 minut na 8 trakach, ale spotifaj serwuje wersje rozszerzona, 15 trakow i godzina 12 minut materialu, co jest dobrym bonusowym kontentem, a poziom plyty jest rowny od poczatku do konca, jesli chodzi o wydanie orginalne, dodatkowe traki sa troche bardziej surowe, brakuje im tego dreamowego feelingu shoegazingu, wokali plynacych na gitarkowych rifach, ale na tej plycie najbardziej urzekla mnie praca basisty, a gitarka schodzi na drugi plan, czy nawet trzeci, bo niektore fragmenty drumowe takze zasluguja na hajlajta, tak jak na polar bearze, ale jesli chodzi o traki ktore sie znajda na plejce, to zamykajacy orginal vapour trail, wplecienie smyczkowania do shoegazowania to bylo wlasnie to co sprzedalo ten trak jak dla mnie, no i otwierajacy seagull, epizod czleka zmarnowanego

This is stunning, straddling shoegaze and something else. Don't get me wrong, I've got a weakness for shoegazing and that's what draws me in, but the noise-pop/rock elements are well-executed. Decay seems like the most driving and least conventional track of the front eight, but fits the tracklist well. Dreams Burn Down carried the most emotional weight for me. The back or bonus seven songs were less even but still welcome listening.

fav tracks - in a different place, dreams burn down, paralysed, vapour trail, sennen, unfamiliar, nowhere, today. loved the cacophonous ending, beaautiful.

A pleasant psychedelic experience. Images of kaleidoscopes and teenagers that need a wash comes to mind. Limited sing along options.

Album starts off with a bang with Seagull exploding from the speakers. Right away I can tell that this album will suit my tastes perfectly. Favorite songs; Seagull, Kaleidoscope, polar Bear, vapor Trail 4 🌟

- vibes. - while discordant, quite listenable - well ordered album

Another shining example of the difference between British and US alternative rock from the 90s. The Brits winning out nearly every time.

Never have I been so amazed at listening to a song for the first time before I've heard "Seagull". I still can't believe that track exists. "Vapour Trails" is such a very fun and joyful song. High 4.5/5

Great album and when you consider it’s a debut, even better. Not everyone’s cup of tea sure, but shoegaze was effectively soundscapes via guitar effects and it is done near perfectly here, particularly Vapour Trail & Unfamiliar. There is also a pop element to this album which they improved on ‘Going Blank Again’ but sonically Nowhere is a treat.

Enjoyed this from a band that was new to me

Goede shoegaze, doet me vaak denken aan Stone Roses, I like it! Nieuwe artiest leren kennen die ik leuk vind! 3,75/5, dus 4 sterren Favoriete nummer:

Shoehazing par excellence. 8/10

Great shoegaze. Polar Bear is amazing.

A pleasant noise.

Does this generator know I’ve been listening to this album

What a pleasant surprise and so worth listening to. First introduction to shoegazing dream pop, and Ride did a fantastic job! I am sold on the band and their sound, many great tunes, perfect length, and Vapour Trail is amazing!

Very shoe-gazey. Loud instruments, low vocals. In context, this album probably influenced a lot of later music. In present day it's just mediocre.

worth a revisit to find some new favorites. solid neo progressive rock

Had not heard this before, though reminds me a lot of Ned's Atomic Dustbin and God Fodder. I can better understand what shoegaze is after listening to this. Very enjoyable.

Like MBV and The Stone Roses had a baby. Really great, though.

A pleasant surprise! Really cool surf rock album.

Este disco me sorprendió. Nunca había escuchado ni de “Ride” ni del género Shoegazing, pero es claramente un precursor o influencia de lo que eventualmente sería el britpop. Algunas canciones de hecho me recuerdan a Oasis por el uso del “Brickwalling”, como por ejemplo la primera del disco: Seagull. Creo que este disco se hubiera visto beneficiado si hubieran quitado algunas canciones, pero aún así es bastante bueno. Lo que más me impresionó es que fuera grabado “en vivo” en estudio, haciendo gala del dominio de los pedales y los efectos. Mis canciones favoritas fueron “Here and Now”, “Dreams Burn Down” y “Sennen”.

I wish I would have found this album in high school. Love the soft/heavy combination of all the songs. Good stuff

I think pretty good, like if you mix Wilco with the Beach Boys sort of. Not necessarily something I’ll come back to but I appreciated the listen.

Really solid shoegaze album. Reminds of swirlies and a toned down mbv. God I can’t wait until mbv comes up in this project

Mostly pleasant, but nothing outstanding or memorable.

"seagull" is nice

352/1089 a nice 90s dreamy indie pop rock record, overstayed its welcome a little but mostly enjoyed it faves: Seagull, Kaleidoscope, Vapour Trail 62/100

This one’s a bit hard for me to rate. I actually had to listen to much of it twice. I completely zoned out and fell asleep while listening the first time, which is unusual. I put it on headphones and started again. It’s interesting. It’s hypnotic. It doesn’t impinge. This last fact is striking given how noisy it can get. But the mix maintains a constant wave throughout, melody or abrasive distortion, it all becomes one. I do believe this influenced other groups with which I am more familiar AND I think I have a vague memory of encountering a different Ride album in my early college days. It all combines for a dreamy impression. I want to rate it higher than 3… but I just don’t think I can muster it on this scale. But it is… Boolean: True

Hmm. Okay. Not a "shoegaze" fan (Christ! Look at the audience FFS!) but this wasn't bad ... and I understand the list tries to encompass 'all' genres (and if that means including more UK acts, well hey!). But I don't need to hear it again.

Pretty good.

At times interesting and atmospheric, at times just loud.

Thursday, 25 June, 2026 Solid shoegaze. Both MBV albums are significantly better.

Very advanced for 1990

Not bad, not great. More palatable vocals would suit the music a bit more?

As a massive shoegaze hater, this album was a LOT better than I had expected. The "noise" was honestly fairly minimal, it was mostly just ... pretty typical indie fuzz? There were a few tracks with a bit of dissonance but nothing offensive. Ultimately my main issue with this album was actually that a lot of it was just plain boring. "In A Different Place" and "Polar Bear" were just dull and uninteresting. Props to the drummer for actually doing something but every other element was severely lacking. The vocals throughout aren't exactly great, but they're also not the worst. I preferred the tracks with some energy, favourite track was probably "Kaleidoscope". Expected this to be a 1 or a 2, but it definitely exceeded my expectations based on the listed genres, so going to go with a 3. Still not something I'm going to revisit but I survived listening to it without ripping my ears off so credit where credit's due and all that.

Best track - Vapour Trail, otherwise it didn't really take me anywhere.

Cutie, not bad

Apparently I don't know WTF "shoegaze" is because I wouldn't have called this *that*.

I like Ride

Post-rocky shoegaze that mostly fades into the background. Drowsy and moody, drowning the listener in a wall of guitar drones and hazy clouds of drum beats. The vocals are meandering and at times incomprehensible, yet somehow fit with the sound they're trying to go for. I really enjoy the crescendoing instrumental outros to songs like "Vapor Trail", layering a beautiful cavalcade of instrumental textures into a strong melodic moment releasing the tension that has built up throughout the track. The album has its moments, but sort of overstays its welcome. Fails to justify its length. Average 2.5/5.

beach boys and depeche mode met on the set of scooby doo and experimented with rock

Decent album.

had some good songs. not much of a shoegaze guy

I liked it but I didn't love it, I wouldn't put it on again tho, if I could give it a half star it would be 3.5

I accept that I'll never be a fan of shoegaze, but this was better (by a slight margin) than the two MBV albums I've listened to. The distortion annoys me. It's like a radio station that you can't quite tune in but you can hear the music along with the static - annoying.

some songs were good, but it got too long and i did not enjoy it that much, i like long songs, but these did not get my interest.

This is alright but I don’t love it. Definitely not anywhere near the level of mbv.

I prefer this to any other "shoegaze" albums I've heard so far, and that probably owes a lot to the fact they actually seem interested in making some cohesive, melodic music and not just noise rock. I could enjoy spending more time with this one, I think.

Okay

Just too long, needed editing, some great tracks but all sounds the same near the end

Idk if I couldn’t hear well but missing on lyrics

Usually not a fan of shoegaze but this one was pretty good

Un peu comme habiter dans un corridor aérien à Dorval; c'est ben bruyant et ça me passe des milliers de pieds par-dessus la tête. 2.5 étoiles

very fun ambient album Rating: 3.5/5 - GEMV (18.95.2026)

chato e legal.. nostálgico. se eu tivesse escutado na época talvez fosse um 4 estrelas.

Sounds like the Smiths once they've had a little caffeine. It's perfectly well-done, just not my jam.

I both liked and disliked this.

Enjoyed this but it is a long album!

I will listen to this again a few times. I haven’t heard of this band or album. It’s very 90s. I like it.

If this caught me on a better day I might enjoy it more. Shoegaze is sometimes my jam and sometimes not. Overall I’m just surprised to hear this is one of the best the genre has to offer? It’s not bad, just, that’s it??

Good background noise.

This is good

Am Anfang dachte ich das wird nen cooles album aber iwie wurde es sehr schnell sehr mid

Pretty good shoegaze - but doesn't do a whole lot for me, rounding down.

When I was a freshman or sophomore in high school I came across this album and thought it was pretty cool. Revisiting in my mid-30s, it’s not all that captivating. I think at the time I was drawn in by the shoegaze Wikipedia page, the cool album cover, and the layers of sound on opening track Seagull (which I still think is great). The real standout track though is Vapour Trail, which closes the album. So yeah, Nowhere starts strong and ends strong. Everything in between is pretty forgettable but altogether decent noise pop/shoegaze.

I don't like shoegaze but sure

Not sure how Rolling Stone could call this album a masterpiece. To be sure, the band has some talent and the song construction is very good. Sounds a lot like what would ultimately become the sound of bands like Oasis later in the decade. That said, if you ever wondered why you never really heard of this band - the latest in the string of name English bands who belong nowhere (put fully intended) near this list - look no further than the lead singer. He is inferior in just about every way. Not only does have zero range with a pretty monotonous sound, but his voice is terribly uninteresting. I just couldn't get past it. At least I got to listen to "one of shoegazing's enduring moments", whatever the hell that means. 3 stars and that is being generous.

Ihan outo genre.

I don’t like My Bloody Valentine at all, so this isn’t as crazy a statement as it might be otherwise, but I liked this better than Loveless. It was less screechy and fuzzy. This was pretty poppy shoegaze. I didn’t hate it.

I wasn’t impressed at the beginning but I really liked it. Sort of a Deftones meets Oasis type of thing

The music was incongruous with the vocals, which were mostly dreamy and ethereal and very British. Wikipedia calls it shoegaze, and it seems like an intentional effort not to engage, even as they're more than getting their money's worth out of the drummer. The jangly guitars spoke to something a little stronger than the sameness I heard across tracks. Nothing to see on Nowhere.

Shoegazing - love it. New term to me and perfectly encapsulates this ethereal rock styling.

nothing particularly interesting but inoffensive chill listen

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Very Good - Seagull is a strong opener, it sets the tone for the album very well. There is more structure or rigidity to this album than most shoegaze records which I like. It's almost more like The Stone Roses than MBV. Really good album all round.

More noise rock! This list has exposed me to a fair amount of noise rock now. I'm definitely not fully sold, although when it's good, I do like it. This definitely had a more acceptable level of noise and distortion compared to the Jesus and Mary chain album we had a while back. Enjoyed it, but still not fully sold on the noise rock concept 3.5

Good.

For shoegaze this is pretty great sonically. It's got a lot more texture than I expect from the genre. I almost struggle to think of it as shoegaze. Seagull is a cool opener especially in the rhythm section letting the distortion on the guitars really push out. Did these guys have influence from The Replacements? This is a pretty solid album and made sense at the time. Sure, have it on the list.

Decay is a song I would have locked onto in my youth. There are a couple okay tracks, but mostly forgettable. The instrumentation is better than the vocals. This isn't really required listening.

ok

5/10 I can only think bands thought they were doing us a favour by making their albums so long - less time trapsing back and forth to the CD player, less analysis paralysis and decision fatigue. Of course, now I want my albums honed and toned, with not fat. This is a 41mins album with 30mins of padding. Get it on a strict diet and it would have been decent, maybe even good. But as it is, it lumbers around, needing regular sit downs.

seemes like a crossover album between 80 new wave and 90 alt rock. not my favorite at all. notes of REM and the breakfast club , precursor to Oasis maybe.

Hey that's a great opening track! It has Midnight Oil surf rock kinda vibes, it really invokes the cover art. Not a huge fan of the vocal tone, I would have preferred them to build an instrumental around it. But musically speaking it sounds great. Oh! And how about that outro. Seagull was a true breath of fresh air. … unfortunately the rest of the album didn’t live up to that same hype. It would have been a 2/5 if not for Seagull.

Highlights: Seagull, Kaleidoscope, Polar Bear, Decay, Paralysed, Vapour Trail For the record, I only went through the original 11 CD tracks - no more, no less. It was surprisingly decent given my apathy towards shoegaze. It felt way more approachable than expected, which is kinda weird because then this record deserves to be more well known than it is. And yes, this was my first exposure to the group. While it wasn't offensive to the ear, it wasn't really something I would really go out of my way to play again. It sounds like some generic afternoon radio material that sounds good enough to not make me want to change the station. I didn't pay too much mind to the lyrics because shoegaze just loves to numb my brain. Except for Decay and Paralysed, that shit got very depressive lol. I feel like the lyrics did get better by the end. Vapour Trail was also a highlight in that regard. Honestly, I would kinda like the tracklist better if it ended there, as it does on the LP release. As it is evident by the number of highlights I've noted, I liked a good number of tracks, but the record still kinda felt average.

Instrumentals are amazing. Vocals aren’t. Type 1 “The Smiths” syndrome.

Pretty cool listen, they were tapping into something a little different to other bands around that time. Like they’d already progressed from the grunge sound and created something else. In that context I can understand why this is on the list

Track 1 & 2: Ok this isn't for me. Track 3: Ok, there's something here. Maybe not an album I love, or something I'd listen to again, but enjoyable if unmemorable. Like Oasis but without the magic.

3/5, interesting wall of sound

El shoegaze, como género, nos ha dejado un puñado de buenas canciones y algún que otro dolor de cabeza. Ride representan un poco de las dos cosas. Como álbum, entra en la monotonía a partir de la tercera canción (ni te cuento si los viéramos en directo). Tema por tema, se pueden rescatar unos cuantos: "Paralysed", "Vapour Trail" y ese "Polar Bear" que parece haber "cogido prestada" la introductoria de "How Soon Is Now" de los Smiths. Se les perdona el hurto. En la parte más positiva, me gusta cómo voces y guitarras forman una simbiosis a beneficio de las canciones.

This is so close to something I could enjoy. But all the reverb/distortion/whatever turns most of it into just noise to my ears.

In a Different Place is pretty good. Vapour Trail is really nice. It's too bad about the heavy distortion on Dreams Burn Down, because otherwise it's a great song. The rest is either too distorted or I didn't care too much for them.

I like listening to shoe gaze, but I can't really tell the songs apart. I guess that's kind of the point.

Nothing special

Has moments but it’s ultimately jingle jangle pop at the other end of a tunnel

Del montón bueno, al principio parece una que va ser un disco de garaje de surferos pero al final se ha ido haciendo más grunge, lo que se llevaba en la época.

This was a good album. I can definitely hear how influential this was, but ultimately it's a tad boring. 3.0/5.0: Good

this was fine

distinctly mid

If you ask me to describe a 90s Brit pop album, this would be it.

Kind of interesting?

90’s low-key alt-rock

I listened to this a few days ago and forgot to rate it. Now I'm struggling to remember it. The things I vaguely remember: repetition; sad boy lyrics; noisy dreamlike sound. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

Vapour Trail

Glad I tried this again from the beginning. It went from a 2 to a 3 because the album just has a vibe, not a collection of songs thrown together.

This is kind of Stone Roses crossed with My Bloody Valentine (or similar). Slightly more to the Stone Roses end of that spectrum than I’d expected in advance. A lot of the songs have cool guitar riffs/patterns. I also quite like the way they do the ‘noise’ elements of the songs. I don’t much like the voice of the main vocalist, and the lyrics aren’t especially deep (or, rather, they address deep feelings but not in a particularly novel or affecting way). Heard at the time of release, I can get that this was considered a really good album, but I doubt it’s going to enter my playlist alongside the genre-similar bands of that era that I already know and love.

These critics sure do love guitars and vocals

Chill surf town stuff but nothing special

sounds like a depressed stone roses. think i could get into this more with a few concentrated listens, like the sound but every song does kind of fade into the next… also not great for pumping iron in the gym which is where i chose to do this review

In a Different Place // Dreams Burn Down // Vapour Trail // 3.5/5

May come back and revise to a 4, based on a few super cool tracks, but the album could get a bit tiresome at times.

Ride made great snowboards. My all time favourite was the Timeless, a beast of a board that you had to be in control of or it would hurt you. Retired to my loft it sits there longing to be let loose, its not interested in tricks and jumps and only wants to carve and go very, very fast Ride the band are not in this catagory, Nowhere is good and the band can play but it needs volume to be heard at its best. A stronger singer would have taken this band off piste and into the deep stuff Conclusion: The Ride Timeless is in the 1001 Snowboards you must try before you die. Nowhere isnt

I've disliked almost every shoegaze album I've had so far, but this one surprised me. Maybe more melodic than the others? Either way, it wasn't terribly boring. 3.5, may revisit.

Album #1,060 I listened to this yesterday, and I barely remember anything about it. I think it was in the shoegaze sub-genre. Nothing stood out really, good or bad. Average.

good vibes i like it, i like the beats

Cool sound, nothing really stuck out. Impressed how modern this sounds tho and get the sense probably was new and fresh at the time

I dont think shoegaze is totally my thing (I’ll admit, really cool & literal name for a genre), but I enjoyed pieces of this. I think Taste was really cool and took the fun guitar effects and didnt overdo them. It sounded like the fun, glass half full 90s music that I normally dig. Vapour Trail was cool too, but its definitely a sad boy cliche that ive had too much of lately. The drumming was really fantastic on this album. I think I’ll need another run on this one to have my opinion. For now, 3/5 with hope that im completely missing the magnitude of this and getting lost in the overwhelming sound

Really like their sound, especially the instruments, but don’t think this is an exceptional set of songs. Liked Seagull and In a Different Place.

Not bad, some cool textures and effects. But it just fades into the background. There’s probably 50 albums on this list that I would confuse it with. 2.5/5

Like a cross between The Stone Roses and shoegaze. It's perfectly pleasant, but not exactly memorable. If I wanted The Stone Roses I'd listen to them, and if I wanted shoegaze I'd listen to something like My Bloody Valentine. It feels like a halfway house without satisfying either.

Okay album.

she is very gorgeous TO ME

Nice sound, a little one note

I liked this more than I thought I would, but nothing super memorable either. A tad long, but definitely some interesting tunes and arrangements. A lot less shoegazey than other shoegaze bands I’m used to hearing.

Rating: 6.5/10

It sounded like a slightly boring version of the stone roses.

Boring, but nothing offensive

I was terrified when I saw shoegaze as the genre because Ive had some of my worst experiences with this list and shoegaze. But this wasn't so bad, in fact there were some bonafide highs on this album. Paralysed is awesome and I love the progression that builds throughout. The instruments are great in that one and it's enough for this album to be passable on its own. There were also, unfortunately, large portions that just blend together, but a shoegaze album thays 72mins long is probably designed to do that anyway. Good album, I enjoyed parts.

Pretty chill. I like the vibe, sort of a cool thing to listen to.

Another "I thought I enjoyed this at the time but in the cold light of day I can't remember it at all" conundrum.

Never heard of shoegaze before (much more familiar with shoe jizz). I liked it all right: calming background stuff. Top tracks: "Seagull," "Dreams Burn Down," "Vapour Trail"

--Seagull...sensory overload but in a good way --Kaleidoscope...bass and drums are real good at the beginning. not much else to it --In a Different Place...ballad. I like the production of this record so far, songwriting hasn't grabbed me yet --Polar Bear...more solid production. I'm thinking drugs may help your enjoyment of this album --Dreams Burn Down...nice guitar sound. I think this is definitely an album that deserves to be heard, I just doubt I'm in the best headspace to consume it --Decay...maintains the vibe --Paralysed...more symphonic hard rock. it's cool but kind of an odd turn. nice, fat bass at the end --Vapour Trail...enjoyable finisher. the symphonic outro is a nice touch

Helt grei, men mye av det samme og ingen bangers

Are these lot from Manchester by any chance? All a bit samey for me though not hideous, just a bit bland.

I like shoegaze music. I didn't know the bassist for Oasis was the co-lead singer for a shoegaze band (Ride, obviously) prior to joining Oasis. Upon first listen, song-by-song on Nowhere just seem to meld into each other. Perhaps that is the point. This sounds like a more hopped-up version of The Verve. I listened to the deluxe version of the album which has 15 tracks. The original album had 8 tracks, while the CD reissue had 11 tracks. This album would play better in my mind with those two versions. It would be nice if the deluxe version was not the only one available on Spotify. The second time through, I listened to the 11 track version and it was a better listen. Sometimes more can be less, especially with music that already has a wall of sound. Best tracks: Kaleidoscope Polar Bear Dreams Burn Down Vapour Trail Taste