Spooky (album)

Spooky
Studio album by Lush
Released	27 January 1992 (See release history)
Recorded	July – October 1991, September Sound, London
Genre	Shoegazing, dream pop
Length	43:37
Label	4AD
Producer	Robin Guthrie
Lush chronology
Black Spring (1991) Spooky (1992) Split (1994)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]
Select	[3]
Pitchfork	8.7/10[4]

Spooky is the second album by English alternative rock band Lush, produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. The album followed the band's debut mini album, Scar, several extended play releases, and the compilation album Gala. Spooky reached the UK Top 10 and topped the national indie charts. The album produced three singles: "Nothing Natural", "Superblast!" and "For Love".

Reception

In 2016, Pitchfork ranked the album at No. 27 in its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".^[5] In the album's entry, Paul Mejia said:

"Shortly after the release of their debut album, Spooky, Lush were invited to play Lollapalooza's mainstage by Perry Farrell himself. It helped the London quartet break through stateside, but was still a less-than-likely festival booking—because, unlike other rock records of the early 1990s, Spooky doesn't rely on blistering noise to make its points. Its brilliant intricacies remain best appreciated alone, through headphones, and preferably in a room where long shadows creep onto the walls. Each element in the mix—from the caffeinated basslines in "For Love" to the reverbed guitars in "Fantasy"—is layered on thickly yet proportionately. Its lyrical themes, which range from hazy dreams to long-lost friends, are helmed adroitly by co-vocalists and guitarists Emma Anderson and Miki Berenyi—together, they set a template for the kind of wistful musings that shoegaze became known for. Their incantations are only frightening in how wonderful they are".^[5]

Track listing

Release history

Singles

• "Black Spring EP" (29 October 1991)
  • CD BAD 1016 (US only, Reprise Records 9 40231-2)
    1. "Nothing Natural" – 5:56
    2. "God's Gift" – 4:10
    3. "Monochrome" – 5:07
    4. "Nothing Natural (Version)" – 3:59
• "For Love" (30 December 1991)
  • CD (BAD 2001 CD); 10" vinyl (BAD D 2001); 12" vinyl (BAD 2001)
    1. "For Love" – 3:32
    2. "Starlust" – 4:21
    3. "Outdoor Miner" – 2:46 (Wire cover)
    4. "Astronaut" – 2:37
• "Superblast!" (Promo-only, January 1992)
  • Radio promo CD (PRO-CD-5471)
    1. "Superblast! (Gil Norton Remix)" – 4:04
    2. "Starlust" – 4:21
    3. "Fallin' in Love" – 2:38 (Dennis Wilson cover)
    4. "Superblast! (Album Version)" – 4:08

Members

• Vocals, guitar - Miki Berenyi
• Guitar, vocals - Emma Anderson
• Bass - Steve Rippon
• Drums - Chris Acland

References