SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – CHERRY STARS COLLIDE

Various Artists
Cherry Stars Collide
Cherry Red Records

Actually, the full title of this 4-CD set is Cherry Stars Collide, Dream Pop, Shoegaze & Ethereal Rock 1986-1995.

Cherry Red had quite a good reason for such a title, as there is quite some overlapping among these three genres, that stylistically share so many joint elements. Even though shoegaze itself often has the sound of (modified) guitars as the most prominent one, these three genres share one common thing — that late night, dreamy feel, whether it is pleasant dreams or nightmares, often that edge where the two overlap.

Cherry Red actually released a specific shoegaze set back in 2016 (Still In A Dream), but this one focuses more on the dream pop tag that the label itself characterizes as a catch-all term rather than a genre within itself.

As is usually the case with such Cherry Red projects, the selection includes both some key, exemplary tracks as well as some lesser gems that yet need to be truly uncovered.

Excellent, as usual.

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