Bleep

Widely regarded as a collection of connoisseurs’ choices of my bloody valentine tracks, EP’s 1988-1991 offers a comprehensive set of EP-only, rare and unreleased songs by the definitive shoegaze band. Originally collated and released a year before the group’s 2013 comeback LP m b v, the compilation features some of the precious few tracks available (we use the term lightly considering music marketplace site prices) from the elusive quartet.

Where Isn’t Anything, loveless and m b v are complete entities of formidable shoegaze, EP’s 1988-1991 delivers an alternative, uncharacteristic view of my bloody valentine, a version of the group no less fascinating and earth-shattering in a more searching, adventurous mode. ‘You Made Me Realise’ kick-starts the first disc with a heavy hit of fuzzed out dissonance, an approach that premeditates the Sonic Youth-esque noise pop of ‘Thorn’ and the garage rock balladry of ‘Don’t Ask Why’. ‘Swallow’ and ‘Moon Song’ swiftly follow the gargantuan whirlwind of ethereal band classic ‘To Here Knows When’ inviting visions of how things could have been.

Despite the dearth of releases across their career, EP’s 1988-1991 shows that, for these three years at least, my bloody valentine were indeed prolific innovators.