My Bloody Valentine

Isn't Anything/Loveless/ EPs 1988-1991Sony ****

These much-anticipated reissues arrive shrouded in myth, mystery and ambiguity; has there ever been an Irish rock band with so much baggage that fell off the carousel? Originally planned for reissue three years ago, only to be pulled at short notice, Dublin band MBV's first two albums and a tweaked compilation of EPs (featuring a smattering of previously unreleased tracks) highlight once again how traditional musical structures can be subverted and inverted to the point where it's simultaneously familiar and comforting, yet odd and uneasy. Of course, what marks MBV out from the genre they effectively created (willingly or not – and it's most certainly the latter) is their overriding sense of melody. Narcotic tunesmithery has rarely been as seductive as this music, and if you're not sure what all the fuss is about, there's only one thing to do: listen. mybloodyvalentine.net

Download tracks:Feed Me With your Kiss, What You Want