Britain, 1991. Alternative rockers My Bloody Valentine have just released their album “Loveless,” where they perfected their chosen musical style of shoegaze, gorgeous melodies and whispered vocals floating above distorted, effect laden and dreamy guitar lines.

 

Though it was never a chart topper, it still commands respect and influence, especially to the alternative musicians across the pond that stepped up in the years after its release, like Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead.

So how do you follow up something like that? Slowly and with difficulty, apparently. After the release, My Bloody Valentine fell prey to writer’s block, and split apart for years. Five years ago, they reconvened and started playing live again, and now they have finally released their third album, titled “m b v.”

 

The release generated a wave of internet buzz, causing it to trend on Twitter and the flood of traffic to buy the album crashed the band’s website immediately upon the album’s release. All after 22 years of inactivity.

My first impression of “m b v” was that it was incredibly heavy, even though it began with a lush texture similar to those in “Loveless.”  But then, to my surprise, “Only Tomorrow” came down harder than an anvil on a cartoon character, and my ears embraced every minute of it.

 

The strangely poppy “New You” was also a surprise. Singer/guitarist Kevin Shields is a genius of a player, and his highlights include the tantalizing sounds of “If I Am,” and the opening shred intro of “In Another Way.”

 

And of course, co-guitarist/vocalist Bilinda Butcher sang as well, and I personally love her voice more than Shields. The album closes with the amazing “Wonder 2,” which sounds incredibly like a jam session in a tornado.

This isn’t music to sing along to, but it will take you for a incredible ride if you let it.