Ghost Colored Halo

There was a shoegaze resurgence in the second decade of the 2000s, with newer bands like Ringo Deathstarr doing spot-on imitations of the dreamy guitar distortion sound of yesterday and getting critical adoration. Almost as if in a reactionary move, My Bloody Valentine came out of the woodwork in 2013 to finally deliver on their long-awaited follow-up to Loveless, and m b v became one of the most exciting releases of the year. It only seemed natural that the oft-comparable Lovesliescrushing would follow suit. Unlike MBV, multi-instrumentalist Scott Cortez and vocalist Melissa Arpin had been recording pretty consistently since the early '90s, and their quiet brand of dream pop — which takes a more stretched-out, ambient shape — has changed very little. A song like "Blemished Sunspot" could be mistaken for white noise, with its five-minute wash of fuzzy, lo-fi guitar delays, and "The Tiger Hunts Alone" finds Arpin's breathy voice drenched in reverb and drifting over a sea of guitar loops. All of Ghost Colored Halo plays in this manner, alternating between Metal Machine Music instrumentals and ghostly drones with angelic vocals, and while peaceful, tranquil, and enjoyable, it would be best to avoid driving or operating heavy machinery while listening to this product.