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10:
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timeless/perfect
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9 to 9.9:
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significant past 10 years
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8 to 8.9:
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significant past 5 years
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7 to 7.9:
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memorable
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6 to 6.9:
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standard playlife
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5 to 5.9:
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good for now
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4 to 4.9:
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will get a few playthroughs
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3 to 3.9:
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won't intentionally listen to this
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2 to 2.9:
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strongly avoid it
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1 to 1.9:
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no reason to ever listen to this
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0.1 to 0.9:
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rage-inducing
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0:
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no merit whatsoever.
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 Pacific UV
"S/T" (CD)
released in 2003
Label: Warm
It might come as a surprise to find that shoegaze is still around, existing on what must be a small legion of supporters dying to find a contemporary act of the same substance as the genre’s forefathers; an act with the ability to carry this thing for just ten more years.
With Tonevendor in tact there’s a good chance that shoegaze will live to see another decade, but instead of being carried by a few marquee acts there’s a better chance that the torch will be passed by an army of dreamers perfectly content with a Slowdive comparison here and a Cocteau Twins comparison there.
Enter Pacific UV, a band that waited nearly two and a half years to see their debut full-length released by Warm. This not because of any outright label disputes, but because after eleven months of recording during the daytime the band felt that “you could literally hear the suns on the tracks;” the supine, dreamy tracks. It would reportedly take them another year and a half - this time under the cover of nightfall - to produce what can be heard on their self-titled debut, and whether the absence of sunlight had anything to do with it or not, these tracks definitely do have an indolent, sedated quality to them.
After all the time and effort Pacific UV bring us a fully atmospheric album with digital emphasis; just what you might expect from what’s been so cleverly dubbed nu-gaze by some. Unfortunately, what it boils down to in this case is an overemphasis on the not-so-distant past, which should be synonymous with lack of innovation. As a result this album is not exciting, nor is it particularly engaging.
Pacific UV finely blend every part of their musical amalgam to create an extremely comfortable whole, which ends up being the band’s strongest characteristic. These drifting compositions come through as both light and massive as the elements cooperatively sweep against breathy vocals and steady ambient noise. The level of intent involved and executed in this recording is clear and admirable, but the product constitutes little purpose beyond a lounge aid, and stands a very good chance of turning any lounge session into nap time.
Of course, if all you’re looking for is a well-thought shoegaze preservation tool then you’ll likely find it here.
-30-
Review written on 2003/08/18 by Brian Holm
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v.3.00.34 © 2002 - 2010 by -30- and stargraphX.com