Lush - Ciao! Best of Lush (2000) [LP Remastered 2015]

Taking delirious pop melody and filtering it though a prism of ethereal effects-pedal abandon, Lush were a band who the shoegaze cliches of 'kaleidoscopic harmonies' and 'cathedrals of sound' were originally spawned to describe. Yet beyond the production values and the photogenic allure, both these infectious ditties and the band's steely approach have more than stood the test of time, and their recent reunion only helps to display their standing as more than a mere '90s museum piece. From the Robin Guthrie-abetted swirl of 'Nothing Natural' and 'De-Luxe' to the more stripped-down pop suss of 'Ladykillers', this compilation is testimony to a band who transcended cliche to straddle both dreamtime rapture and boozy abandon.