Slowdive 'Catch The Breeze (Peel Session)' (1991)

Derided as bedwetting ninnies at the time, history has been kind to Slowdive. They've become recognised as one of the more innovative of the original shoegazers, respected by a host of contemporary pedal merchants alongside others such as Pale Saints, Moose and, of course, My Bloody Valentine, though MBV were a much bigger deal than being mere shoegazers.

The cover of their debut album 'Just For A Day' pretty neatly sums up the sound of the early records: blurred smears of sound, indistinct but engaging, best viewed as an Impressionistic whole.

'Catch The Breeze' was the first track of theirs that I fell in love with. It comes in with a hit of melody and strident drums. Compared to the melancholy shimmer of the first two EPs, 'Catch The Breeze' is an orgy of reflective harmony with cascades of guitar in the verses and arcs of sky-scraping guitar in the chorus.

The Peel Session version is a little harder and more live-sounding (obviously, I suppose) and the track fades off to infinity, the guitars bouncing through their sumptuous delays.

Download Slowdive 'Catch The Breeze (Peel Session)' (Shoegaze mp3) (Box.net)