Shoegazer Christmas

Deary / Three Quarter Skies
Shoegazer Christmas: 2000 Miles / Holy Water
(Sonic Cathedral Recordings, SCR289, UK, 2023)

If ever there was a record label that you would expect to put out a release called "Shoegazer Christmas", it would be Sonic Cathedral Recordings. In 2004, Nathaniel Cramp organized the first Sonic Cathedral club night in London. The so-called 'The Night That Celebrated Itself', was a night entirely dedicated to shoegaze. Shoegaze, the music style pioneered in the 1980s by bands such as The Jesus & Mary Chain, My Blood Valentine, Slowdive and Ride, is a combination of a sonic assault of very loud guitars with lots of effects and feedback, distant vocals, sixties psychedelic pop melodies and musicians who look at their effects pedals on the floor as they play. Which explains the genre's name. In 2006, Nathaniel turned Sonic Cathedral into a record label, releasing singles by The Tamborines, Mark Gardener (frontman of Ride), and Sarabeth Tucek. Later, Sonic Cathedral released records by, among many others, School of Seven Bells, Andy Bell (another Ride member), Dean And Britta, Sad Day For Puppets, The Early Years, Younghusband, bdrmm, Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, and the label even released a live 7" by Slowdive.

Two of the label's latest signings are Deary and Three Quarter Skies. Deary is the London-based duo of Ben Easton and Rebecca 'Dottie' Cockram. Ben and Rebecca describe their music as dream pop. Deary debuted in March of this year with the 10" EP 'Fairground', which featured the title track in three different versions, including a remix by Saint Etienne. In November, they followed up with an untitled six-song 12" EP. Three Quarter Skies released their debut, a 7" song EP, on cassette. Three Quarter Skies is the solo project of Cambridge-based Simon Scott, best known as the drummer of Slowdive, who also released a new album in 2023, the critically acclaimed 'Everything Is Alive'. Deary and Three Quarter Skies both recorded a seasonal song this year, and Sonic Cathedral decided to put them on a 7" and call it 'Shoegazer Christmas'. The half red half white 7" was limited to 300 copies and is long sold out.

Deary do a cover and Three Quarter Skies do an original. Deary take on The Pretenders' '2000 Miles' and prove that they really deserve the label dreampop. The song sounds like it was recorded in another dimension, a dimension you travel to when you sleep. Rebecca's vocals are drenched in echo and the bass, the main instrument in the song, floats in a space filled with ethereal sounds. Three Quarter Skies' original 'Holy Water' is also a Christmas song and features backing vocals by Rachael Swinton, who forms the Glasgow-based Cloth with her twin brother Paul. Holy Water' has the same atmosphere as the Deary song, with subtle rhythms, a guitar and bass that bring to mind the more psychedelic influenced early 80s post-punk bands like Echo & The Bunnymen and The Cure, and again those ethereal sounds that are everywhere.

Listening to the songs, maybe 'Dreampop Christmas' would have been a better title for the single, because if you expect loud and distorted guitars buried in effects and feedback, you will be disappointed. Instead, you can listen to Boris' version of 'Last Christmas', which was released last year (but is even more expensive than this 7", if you want to get a copy). But I think most people who love shoegaze will also like dreampop, so they will love this single. Shoegaze Christmas' comes with a Christmas card signed by Ben, Dottie and Simon. Without a doubt one of my personal favorites of the 2023 Christmas 7" season.

Listen to Deary on Bandcamp:

Listen to Three Quarter Skies on Bandcamp: