93MillionMilesFromTheSun-Fall Into Nothing (Bandcamp)

This three man shoegaze collective from Doncaster are about to drop one whopper of an album on fans. Other than EPs, it is their first full length since 2012’s Towards the Light. They started out in 2007 ahead of the shoegaze wave that has deluged fans in the past couple of years, and they are better than many of the bands out there. The band combines spacey elements with solid musicianship, and seems to bypass most of the stereotypical MBV studio trickery that plagues many shoegaze bands. Not to knock MBV, or even the Mary Chain, but it gets old after awhile. OK, maybe we hear a little MBV in the up front “Watch Her Fall” (culled from the EP of the same name), but it’s more subtle than other bands. In “Feel Its Real”, Nick Mainline (Noble)’s vocals float to the surface and are easily discernible, as opposed to other songs where it’s more about the feel than the message.

“Interlude I”, “Interlude II”, and “Interlude III” are short instrumental pieces between longer, dreamier passages. I am guessing that the band is incredibly loud in a live setting, though the volume here is interspersed with softer, ringing tones. And what about “Flying”? The title is appropriate, for this gorgeous tune soars straight from the gate and keeps going straight out to the ten minute mark! Talk about jamming the hammer down. “Sunshine Girl” is cut from simpler cloth, but is no less majestic than other towering tunes on this album. “New Day Comes” ups the ante with an instantly electric vibe, and Nick is buried deep in the mix on this one. How many delicious layers do you have to swim through to get to its base? It hardly matters, really, when you are swooning along to this headphone friendly song (headphones are really the only way to fly with multilayered shoegaze).

“Nothing Left Inside” is airier and easier to get inside for new fans of this genre, and maybe it could be a single! As could the absolutely terrific “Reflections”, which follows the opening summer storm of “Intro”. This pair of tunes is the perfect way to experience 93’s sound, containing all the hallmarks of great shoegaze. It shimmers and crashes, even while it tiptoes into dream pop territory. I am almost reminded of great lost band Lord John, who absolutely ruled this sort of deep well of psychedelic noise. “See Forever” has a killer bass line and a twisted guitar riff to launch it, and drummer Jase Burns lays a solid foundation for Nick and bassist Rob Hogg to kill it here. Final song before the closing storm (literally) of “Outro* is the 11 minute, “A Million Miles Away” (why not 93?). Imagine taking the electric drones of Brian Jonestown Massacre and mixing in some vintage Boo Radleys, would that wet your whistle? 93 builds it up gradually and keeps it there for 10:58. And that’s what it’s all about, ‘gazer fans. This album is an endurance run of sorts; the energy never lets up, and it shimmers about your head in heat waves. It’s the perfect soundtrack for almost summer in these parts. Go support the band if they play live, and pick up the album over at the band’s Bandcamp page (https://93mmfts.bandcamp.com/).