Been listening to this a lot the last week and it’s (for the most part) properly clicked. Concluded that if you get rid of the first and last tracks then you’ve got one of the strongest EPs imaginable.
But those are two of my favourite tracks! 
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Sorry, I’m afraid my judgement is binding. They’ll be recalling your copy soon and reissuing as an EP.
Shiiiiiiiiiiiit.
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Did the NME ever get round to reviewing the album? They can’t do any worse than the Q review which was a painfully poor write-up putting it mildly
I’ve given it another listen too — largely on the back of the steady stream of raving in this thread. Enjoyed it a lot more, having had my expectations readjusted by the first listen, but I agree that the first and last tracks are a waste of bandwidth.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say one of the strongest EPs imaginable, but it’s certainly a far superior listen without those two tracks.
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The last track is my favourite
I’m sorry to hear it ):
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not really getting the dislike for Slomo, though it’s one of the worst offenders of the garbled vocals complaint I have, but it’s an otherwise good track and better than a couple of the other tracks I can barely remember.
Falling Ashes is definitely the weakest track.
It’s fine - it’s not like I actively dislike it but it feels a bit shoegaze-by-numbers. Feel like I’m just waiting for it to make way for Star Roving which would make a thrillingly punchy opener.
I would agree more if Star Roving took off a bit more in its second half. It felt like after its brief reprieve that it would crescendo, but instead it basically just repeats the first portion and would make for a slightly limp opener. Slomo at least gives that release towards its end.
Yeah, when it finishes 
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To be fair, there’d be others I’d cut too. Sugar for the Pill is another one for the chopping block. (Just scrolled up and seen that the three tracks I least like are listed as the three standouts by @WizardLizard )
By the way, can we all agree that Star Roving does not simply sound a lot like some other song, but is surely actually a song already released years and years ago by some band I can’t remember, and that Slowdive haven’t even re-recorded it, but just dropped the original version in amongst their own songs?
This is really good.
Another vote for can’t see why Falling Ashes and especially Slomo are being singled out as poor tracks. I suppose Falling Ashes sounds very different to the rest of the album but I still like it. I’d say Don’t Know Why and Everyone Knows are weaker tracks but it’s all relative on a very good album. My favourite track is No Longer Making Time.
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Not really a big fan of Slowdive, but I’m finding this pretty listenable. And anyone criticising incomprehensible vocals is missing the point of shoegaze, which is largely (in my mind) about guitars and vocals working together as textures.
Incidentally, anybody enjoying this should really try out Mahogany’s Connectivity which is very similar, particularly to tracks like Don’t Know Why:
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When does low in the mix vocals just become bad mixing? I feel like a lot of recent shoegaze falls into this trap where vocals seem like a complete afterthought and are otherwise mixed down to the point where whatever texture the vocals are providing is completely lost.
It’s especially weird on the new Slowdive considering how clear some of the other vocals are on other tracks. I’m on the fence about how undermixed Rachel’s vocals are on this album as she sounded fairly bad in spots on the Minor Victories album.
Falling Ashes would probably be decent as a shorter track, but at 8 minutes, it’s fairly tedious. Go Get It would’ve made a decent closer on its own.
That’s a fair point. And
Yes! I thought exactly the same thing. But as I’ve said these a minor quibbles about what is a very strong album.
Wouldn’t drop any of the songs tbh
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I usually agree with your musical assertions but not this time - Sugar For The Pill is an excellent song and I’m going to go as far as to say that it’s up there with their best. I hasten to add that I listen to slowdive week-in, week-out and they’ve improved with age. Star Roving is on the sprightly side for them but it’s a welcome change of pace
That’s it. This internet friendship is over!
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