This week, Swindon quartet RAIN return with their long-awaited second EP; ‘Abstract Vision’. It sees them working with acclaimed producer Lewis Johns to mould a seamless set of songs that border on the line between grunge and shoegaze.
Songs such as ‘Twist The Knife’ and ‘Dreaming In Black And White’ serve as perfect examples of this as they weave through with controlled chaos. Whereas ‘Flowers Of Aurora’ and the title track breathe off washed out vocals, subtle pop-esque melodies and pulsating drum fills.
While we’re quite aware of grunge and its longstanding influence, for some of us, the shoegaze genre is still a mystery. Its origins lay in 80s post-punk with bands such as the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Slowdive often being cited as key influences on its evolution. Like most sub-genres, shoegaze has been through somewhat of a renaissance in recent years with Nothing, Ringo Deathstarr, Newmoon, and to an extent, Hundredth, being some of the more notable names reviving the genre.
To grasp a better understanding on the history of shoegaze, RAIN’s Rhys James has compiled ‘Happy When it Rains’ as a guide to shoegaze.
“These tracks each contain elements that have been influential contributors to our sound and direction” says James. “Some have been discovered along the way since starting the band and others are pioneering tracks that cultivated the shoegaze genre which initially inspired us to create our own music.”
‘Abstract Vision’ EP by RAINM is released on 24th November on Venn Records.