Spooky (album)

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Spooky
Studio album by
Lush
Released27 January 1992
RecordedJuly – October 1991
StudioSeptember Sound, London
Genre
Length48:21
Label4AD
ProducerRobin Guthrie
Lush chronology
Black Spring
(1991) 		Spooky
(1992) 		Split
(1994)
Singles from Spooky
  1. "Nothing Natural"
    Released: 7 October 1991
  2. "For Love"
    Released: 30 December 1991
  3. "Superblast!"
    Released: February 1992

Spooky is the debut studio album by English rock band Lush. It was released on 27 January 1992 by 4AD. The album, produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins, followed the band's mini album, Scar (1989), several extended play releases, and the compilation album Gala (1990). Spooky reached the UK Top 10 and topped the national indie charts. The album produced three singles: "Nothing Natural", "For Love" and "Superblast!".

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[2]
NME7/10[3]
Pitchfork8.6/10[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
Select4/5[6]

In 2016, Pitchfork ranked Spooky at number 27 on its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".[7] In the album's entry, Paula 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.[7]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Stray"Miki Berenyi2:07
2."Nothing Natural"Emma Anderson5:54
3."Tiny Smiles"
  • Anderson
  • Berenyi
4:26
4."Covert"Berenyi3:34
5."Ocean"Berenyi4:49
6."For Love"Berenyi3:29
7."Superblast!"Anderson4:07
8."Untogether"Berenyi3:33
9."Fantasy"Anderson4:27
10."Take"Berenyi3:28
11."Laura"Anderson3:22
12."Monochrome"Anderson5:05

Release history[edit]

Country Date Label Format Catalogue #
United Kingdom 27 January 1992 4AD CD CAD 2002 CD
Limited CD in digipak sleeve CAD D 2002 CD
Double 10" vinyl CAD D 2002
United States 4 February 1992 4AD/Reprise CD 9 26798-2
Japan Nippon Columbia CD (two bonus tracks) COCY-80092

Singles[edit]

  • "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

Personnel[edit]

Lush

Charts[edit]

Chart (1992) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] 68
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 7
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[10] 20

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Spooky – Lush". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  2. ^ Browne, David (24 April 1992). "Spooky". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  3. ^ Page, Betty (18 January 1992). "Filly Spectres". NME. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  4. ^ Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne (2 July 2023). "Lush: Spooky". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  5. ^ Reynolds, Simon (16 April 1992). "Lush: Spooky". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  6. ^ Cavanagh, David (February 1992). "Lush: Spooky". Select (20): 64. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  7. ^ a b "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. 24 October 2016. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lush – Spooky" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Lush Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
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