An analysis of Souvlaki, a deep dive into Slowdive’s transcendence of perfection

Slowdive’s Souvlaki is one of the most beloved shoegaze records of all time. It is essential to any fan of the genre. The celestial, ambient work from the band explores themes of longing, waiting, painful romance, and exploring desire. The album uses the medium of ambience and the method of utilizing unique guitar tones to create a masterpiece. Through this it has become a staple of shoegaze, an alternative genre identified by complex guitar tones and often employing a spacey atmosphere. Souvlaki captures the genre perfectly by encapsulating the listener and exploring the expanse of nothingness. Each track is packed with layers of enveloping sound that creates infinite replayability. 

“Listen close and don’t be stoned”

This opening line of Alison above serves as both a command to the listener and the character in the song; we should be close and fully experience what the album is presenting to us. The song begins with one of the main themes of the album: longing. It speaks of this mysterious girl who belongs in your dreams. She stays out of reach, leaving the speaker in the song obsessed with Alison and her dreamy way of life. Alison sets the stage perfectly for what the rest of the album has to offer.

“40 days and I miss you, I’m so high that I’ve lost my mind”

40 days serves as a breakup song between the two vocalists of Slowdive. Many other tracks on the album represent their relationship, especially the dread that came once it was over. The song is distinguishable by its loud intro which was made by running a guitar through a deep reverb and a modulation effect pedal. Interestingly enough the intro is very similar to the track Morningrise off of Slowdive’s debut.

“Sing where the other boys can watch you dance”

Sing is one of my favorites of Souvlaki. It is possibly one of the most ethereal off the record and heavily relies on its spacey effects. The song literally feels like you’re falling into space going deeper and deeper every second. The further you go into the song the more it envelops you in nothingness. With the droning bassline and drums it’s easy to get lost in Sing. A lot of reverb is placed on the vocals tying together all of the unused space. Furthermore the production on this song is very well done and it fully capitalizes on its ambience. There is a lot going on, so I recommend listening to each of the instruments and pinpointing their sounds as the song adds to itself.

“Doors close and feelings flow. Through my mind I feel his”

Souvlaki Space Station is most recognized for its use of delay. Each instrument as well as the vocals are packed with layers of reverb and delay, causing that repeating sound heard throughout the song. This tone is most desirable for an album like Souvlaki. The drums chug along and there are a lot of moving parts, but somehow the song stays contained and never loses control. Souvlaki Space Station portrays the more ethereal side of the record, similar to Sing. It transports you far into the atmosphere through the ambience, inducing that familiar falling sensation.

“It matters where you are”

When the Sun Hits is the most popular track off the record. It’s a love song based on desire and the fear of loss. Here the chorus utilizes more gain in the guitars, setting this song apart from the others. The romance of When the Sun Hits is reminiscent of Alison where the speaker is looking at their lover from far away. The song has the ability to turn that nothingness we’ve experienced throughout the record into self meaning while outlining a melancholic romance. When the Sun Hits is the embodiment of perfection and is surely what gave Souvlaki merit in the shoegaze genre.

“And me I am her dagger. Too numb to feel her pain”

Dagger hurts so damn bad. This song fully outlines the dysfunctional relationship between the vocalists of Slowdive. It focuses solely on the acoustic guitar forcing the listener to pay attention to painful lyrics. The speaker is the thing that is hurting his partner, but he can’t connect with her. They are out of touch and are losing both themselves along with their partner. Dagger is melancholic and completely fleshes out the speaker’s feelings on themselves and their relationship. It’s a sorrowful closer to the album wrapping up the somber themes perfectly.