Just for a Day
is
Slowdive
's first album, and it shows; when one listens to the magnificent sound of
Souvlaki
or the brilliant experimentation of
Pygmalion
, it becomes clear that
was only a step toward the greatness they would later achieve. Its sound is quite like
's -- swelling waves of flanged guitars, layers of wispy vocals floating in and out of the mix, and sweet lazy
pop
songs -- but the production sometimes turns the band's plush, sweet sound into the sort of cheap and cheesy pleasantness one might expect from a
new age
artist. A few tracks hint at the sound that would be fully achieved on
(
"Celia's Dream,"
"Erik's Song"
), and the album as a whole must have sounded wonderful before anyone knew what great things the band was capable of -- but
is really
in their infancy. ~ Nitsuh Abebe