Lazer Guided Melodies

Favorite track(s): If I Were with Her Now, Symphony Space, Take Your Time, Sway

Interesting album that is a lot more spacey than contemporary Shoegaze albums were at the time. Apparently it also leaned harder into Blues, but I only heard a little of that. It does feel like there are some old standards here buried between layers of drone and feedback, makes for a pretty unique album. It does get a bit same-same at times, the sprawled out spaceyness makes it more monotone than other Shoegaze albums, which can already have some boring moments to begin with. Album cover on streaming is a lot less cool than the cover shown here too.

Tracks 1-3 fail to grab me in any way, but once that cover of JJ Cale's "Call Me the Breeze" revs into gear the album is a fantastic psychedelic experience of super cool production and sound. So many neat parts you would not expect to be included on a psych pop record fade in and out, like the honky tonk piano on "Take Your Time" or the bass saxophone on "Shine a Light."

I can see why people would find this boring, but I was engaged throughout by the warm, smooth mix and the max-reverbed instrumentation.

Better than Coldplay

Imagine spending all that time learning an instrument, forming a band, writing, practicing, going to the studio, agonizing over every effect, each mic placement, every slider on the mixing board, etc. and then you play the album for someone and they just nod their head and shrug and say: "sounds nice."

Not bad as background music, seems like it'd be painful to listen to actively

I know I heard about Spiritualized within the past year. Founded by former Spacemen 3 singer-songwriter Jason Pierce, they're considered one of the most well-known groups in the space rock scene. That said, their debut record here, Lazer Guided Melodies, leans more toward shoegaze and dream pop, as Pierce and company utilized minimalist compositions with layered instrumentation, hazy sonic textures, and some string and horn incorporation to make for a cinematic soundscape. There's a serene, dazed-out nature with this album, as the guitar strumming and Pierce's soft-spoken delivery are thoroughly drenched in reverb. It certainly made for a peaceful listen.

Yet, the issue I'm finding with this record is that it was rather difficult to discern, let alone latch onto any specific hook or melody. Aside from some very obvious lyrical incorporation from a few classic rock songs on "Run" and a particular horn motif on "Shine a Light", tracks tended to go in one ear and out of the other for me. That's not to say it was a bad experience, but rather one that proved hard to remember, like waking up from a dream and scrambling to remember the details.

I certainly didn't mind listening to Lazer Guided Melodies, but I feel like the best of what Spiritualized had to offer is yet to come.

This one is a whole mood. Fortunately I was lounging at I listened and it’s perfect for that. I’ll probably go back to it some time when I’m camping and just want to gaze up at the stars. It risks turning into background music because it’s the kind of music that soothes and lets your mind expand and wander. Good find.

Much better than the Spacemen 3 album on the list, but probably still not something I'm crazy about. I like my dream pop/shoegaze to be more structured whereas this album is a lot more spacey and ambient.

Still, really good album. Kinda sounds like if The Beatles were a shoegaze band. Angel Sigh is the standout for me on this one.

Vähän tyhjäksi jäävää taiderockia.

Spacey, not bad, good work music. 3*
Highlights: shine a light

If I ever want to listen to spiritualized I’ll listen to ladies in gentlemen.. So this is the first time I’ve listened to this album. I enjoyed it. But it’s not changed my view that there’s only one of their albums I’ll go back to regularly.

Pairing notes: beanbag, winter sweater, ability to zone out and do fuck all for an hour.

Enjoyed it but took a couple of listens to appreciate

I cannot recall ever being this bored listening through an album. I really don't know what makes this worthy of the list.

So, I didn't save my review from yesterday. Unfortunate! Anyway, I couldn't finish the album yesterday as the album put me to sleep, but in mostly a good way. It's peaceful and definitely is something I'd listen to in between songs with heavy guitars and strong vocals.

I wasn't familiar with the band or the album before. After reading the reviews and the Wikipedia article, I was expecting the worst. But this music is right up my alley. I enjoyed listening to it. I think the album is worth listening to again. 4/5

ah...shoegaze...i see..

Conversation that never happend:

A: Hey let's listen to that song symphony space again
B: oh hell yeah that track is so awesome
A: yeah and it has the perfect length

Perhaps a hot take, but my least favorite Spiritualized record. They get so, so much more interesting for me after this.

3/5

No real reason for this to be an hour long. Background music, but nothing terrible.

2.5/5.0: Mixed

same complaint as their other album on the list, too long for what it is, still decent overall