Steve Clarke and Rachel Goswell of Slowdive's new band The Soft Cavalry, release their first album, the self-titled The Soft Cavalry. For Clarke, it was a labour of love, and the first record he’s masterminded from start to finish...

Melodic and timeless, The Soft Cavalry lands in the atmospheric dimensions between Pink Floyd, Talk Talk and R.E.M. It's a pretty impressive debut, pretty much finding its feet as it goes, which is probably rightly deserved as the entire process of making the album resolved around Clarke finding his feet with thanks to his wife's (Slowdive's Rachel Goswell) guidance and input.

For a debut album Clarke gets to cast the net far and wide. There are strong and memorable indie tracks ('Dive'; 'The Light that Shines on Everyone'), catchy indie pop offerings ('Bulletproof'; 'Never Be Without You'; ) and retro sounding psychedelic rock/pop ('Only in Dreams'; 'Mountains'; 'The Ever Turning Wheel').

It really is an album that can be enjoyed on the first play through and then, as you get to know the songs, you'll start to appreciate their many deeper layers. A wonderfully conceived and beautifully produced album.

9

Nick Smithson