Slowdive Souvlaki [Import] (180 Gram Vinyl)

Slowdive: Rachel Goswell, Neil Halstead, Christian Savill, Nick Chaplin, Simon Scott.Additional personnel: Spike (cellos); Brian Eno (keyboards).Engineers: Andy Wilkinson, Guy Fixsen, Giles Hall, Chris Hufford, Martin Nichols.Recorded at Protocol Studios, London, England; The Courtyard Studio, Sutton Courtenay, England; The White House Studio, Weston Super Mare, England.Though not as big and swirling as Just for a Day, there's more of an attempt to put advanced song structure and melody in place rather than just craft infinitely appealing, occasionally thunderous mood music. Everything is simplified, as if Brian Eno's presence on two songs -- he contributes keyboards and treatments and co-wrote one tune after turning down the band's invitation to produce -- hammered home the better aspects of "ambient" music. This is no Music for Airports though. On the opening "Alison," the largely uplifting "When the Sun Hits," and the darkly blissful "Machine Gun," Slowdive are still capable of mout