Cherry Stars Collide: Dream Pop, Shoegaze & Ethereal Rock 1986-1995 serves as a companion to
Cherry Red's gargantuan five-CD box
Still in a Dream: A Story of Shoegaze 1988-1995. Shifting the scope a bit, this set focuses on atmospheric and gently haunting textures rather than noisy, swirling guitars -- shoegaze is still listed in the title because it's inextricably linked with dream pop, but dream pop is definitely the emphasis here. Even with many of the same artists appearing on both collections, this set shows a different, sometimes more abstract side of their work. Over a dozen selections originate from
4AD's golden era, with
A.R. Kane's "Lolita" receiving opening track honors (the liner notes credit the band as the originators of the term dream pop), and artists like
His Name Is Alive,
Insides, and
Swallow all given welcome acknowledgement along with the label's more popular bands like
Dead Can Dance and
Lush. The set is arranged roughly chronologically, and several tracks, particularly on the first disc, are from acts who were already established before this time period, but these particular selections fit in with this loosely defined ethos. These include a spooky near-instrumental by
the Chameleons, an edit of a track from
Talk Talk's
Spirit of Eden, a
David Sylvian single titled "Pop Song" that features musique concrete-inspired pianos, and even a breakbeat-driven track from
the Dream Academy's final album. Apart from
Julee Cruise's timeless
Twin Peaks theme, "Falling," and
Cocteau Twins' jubilant pop gem "Iceblink Luck," few tracks on the compilation could be considered genre standards, with a lot of the bigger names represented by deep cuts and unexpected choices. The compilers curiously went with
This Mortal Coil's almost funky cover of
Talking Heads' "Drugs," sung by
Alison Limerick, over something moodier by the
4AD all-star project.
The Cranberries' "Them," from their 1991 debut EP, is surprisingly murky and eerie. The tracks by
Spiritualized,
Slowdive, and
Saint Etienne are weightless, near-ambient B-sides and EP cuts that non-diehards might have missed.
The Sundays' "God Made Me" is a slow burner from their second album, and
Mazzy Star's "She's My Baby" is a hazy neo-psych tune from their best-selling second LP, issued as a promo-only single. The compilation draws further connections between dream pop and neighboring scenes and styles, from
Sarah Records-style indie pop (
14 Iced Bears,
Secret Shine,
the Sweetest Ache) to
Projekt darkwave (
Lycia,
Love Spirals Downwards,
Area). The final disc edges into Britpop with
Drugstore's stark yet sedated ballad "Superglider" and
Dubstar's devastating "Just a Girl She Said," as well as the ethereal side of American slowcore with
Low's characteristically glacial and gorgeous "Stay." Other tracks deserving mention are
Chapterhouse's gently groovy early single "Mesmerise,"
Alison's Halo's bewildering "Sunshy," and the glorious confusion of
the Ecstasy of Saint Theresa's "Fluidum" and
An April March's "All the Flowery."
Cherry Stars Collide is a worthwhile deep dive into the lucid, spaced-out realm of alternative music. ~ Paul Simpson
