Slowdive Find a Way Through the Labyrinth in Their Animated Video for “alife”

Hey, just look at us now
Time made fools of us all
We look but we don’t understand
We try but we don’t look around

Following the release of the songs “kisses,” “skin the game,” and “the slab” shoegaze luminaries Slowdive have unveiled another spellbinding new track ahead of their eagerly awaited album, everything is alive, out September 1st.

“alife” is a gentle ballad of desolation and rueful reflections, with Neil Halstead taking the lead, and Rachel Goswell’s ethereal vocals singing the chorus. With its cryptic lyrics,  two souls seemingly find it agonizing to coexist together, with their dance with time painting them the fool. There’s a river, maybe real, perhaps emotional, that carries memories like old letters one can’t bear to discard to a place where “there’s you and only you.”

The song “is one of the first tunes we finished for the record,” Neil Halstead said in a statement. “Shawn Everett did a really nice job with the mix. We tried so many times to figure out a good mix by ourselves and couldn’t do it… it sort of had us beaten until Shawn stepped in. We decided if he could handle that one he could probably do the whole record.”

The animated video, directed by the band’s friend Jake Nelson, is an exquisite take on these sombre lyrics, taking some of the imagery from the artwork and digging a little deeper. A magical cloaked figure, in an empty factory or warehouse, harnesses the power of abandoned industry and feral nature alike, watching them intertwine with a strange synergy. The concept behind the video revolves around the term “solve et coagula,” which in Latin means ‘in order to rebuild, we must tear apart.’ Flora and fauna are enveloped in the scattered remnants of man’s industrial folly, turning into sentient entities themselves, until the inevitable destruction. Everything explodes and realigns into a labyrinth, with a lone mystical tree the destination. It takes the dissonance of a breakup song and makes it about man’s relationship with nature itself.

Watch below:

The seeds of Slowdive’s soulful creation, everything is alive, were sown in the autumn of 2020. The band embarked on a two-year odyssey across the UK’s sonic landscape, with lead guitarist-songwriter Neil Halstead guiding the way. Partially crafted in the intimate confines of his home studio and further refined by Grammy laureate Shawn Everett, the album grew in richness and complexity, akin to the intricate layers of a timeless painting.

It is an album of love, loss, and reflection, a reverent tribute to Rachel Goswell’s mother and Simon Scott’s father, both of whom passed away in 2020. In Goswell’s poignant words, profound shifts unfolded, reshaping the very essence of being. Yet, the album transcends mere mourning; it’s a musical journey through life’s intricate tapestry, exploring glimmers of hope amidst shadows.

Melancholy flows beneath the surface, like an underground river of sorrow, but it’s not the album’s defining feature. Within the many-layered emotional tones of Slowdive’s distinctive sound, there’s an overarching thankfulness. As Goswell further explains, everything is alive is steeped in experience, wisdom, and an undeniable reach towards hope. Each note, heavy with the weight of the past, is poised and purposeful, gently reminding that life’s crossroads can lead to profound renewal.

Neil Halstead also shared his thoughts on the album, stating, “It wouldn’t feel right to make a really dark record right now. The album is quite eclectic emotionally, but it does feel hopeful.”

everything is alive is set for release on September 1st on Dead Oceans.

Order here

Slowdive is on tour starting this autumn. Catch them in the following cities, including festival dates in Europe and South American at Primavera Sound:

Slowdive Tour Dates:

• September 23: Toronto, Ontario – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
• September 25: Boston, MA – Citizens House of Blues Boston
• September 27: New York, NY – Webster Hall
• September 28: New York, NY – Webster Hall
• September 29: Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
• September 30: Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
• October 2: Cleveland, OH – The Roxy at Mahall’s
• October 3: Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
• October 4: Saint Paul, MN – Palace Theatre
• October 6: Denver, CO – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
• October 7: Salt Lake City, UT – The Union
• October 9: Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
• October 10: Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
• October 12: San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
• October 14: Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
• October 30: Glasgow, Scotland – Queen Margaret Union
• October 31: Manchester, England – Ritz
• November 1: Bristol, England – SWX
• November 3: London, England – Troxy
• November 5: Belfast, Northern Ireland – Mandela Hall
• November 6: Dublin, Ireland – National Stadium
• November 25: Buenos Aires, Argentina – Primavera Sound
• December 4: Santiago, Chile – Teatro Coliseo
• December 7: Asunción, Paraguay – Primavera Sound
• December 10: Bogotá, Colombia – Primavera Sound
• February 16: Brighton, England – Brighton Dome
• February 17: London, England – Eventim Apollo
• February 18: Birmingham, England – O2 Institute Birmingham
• February 19: Norwich, England – LCR UEA
• February 21: Liverpool, England – O2 Academy Liverpool
• February 22: Newcastle upon Tyne, England – NX
• February 23: Glasgow, Scotland – Barrowland Ballroom
• February 24: Edinburgh, Scotland – Liquid Rooms
• February 26: Cardiff, Wales – Cardiff University Great Hall
• February 27: Manchester, England – Manchester Academy