Pearl

Though Chapterhouse had been functioning since 1987, it wasn’t until the 1991 Pearl EP that the band became part of England’s shoegazing hierarchy. It helped that the title track featured a songwriting breakthrough—Chapterhouse's tendency to pump guitars through a daisy-chain of cranked effects was dialed back in lieu of letting whisper-sung harmonies create infectious melodies. Add to that a dance beat (sampled from John Bonham’s opening part to Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks”), plus a guest vocal by Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, and you had a perfect recipe for what U.K. journalists would call "the scene that celebrated itself.” But with the Pearl EP, Chapterhouse also gave fans delicious b-sides that became live favorites. “Come Heaven” tucked its howling guitar feedback behind beautifully fingerpicked acoustic guitars, over which drummer Ashley Bates worked his magic. But it was Stephen Patman’s seductive murmuring of the vocals that gave “Come Heaven” a come-hither vibe. The following “In My Arms” closes with a dream-pop ballad on par with those by Oxford’s Ride.