Waves Are Universal

Fans of Slowdive and Mojave 3 have been pining for a Rachel Goswell album for years. Although 4AD billed Waves Are Universal as sounding like something you wouldn't expect from her, it actually sounds almost exactly like you thought it would, provided you've heard a Mojave 3 song at some point during the previous eight years. The British folk elements that have been slowly coming to the fore in the Mojave 3 records are more of a factor here. Otherwise, it's a fusion of British folk and alt-country — which, to be more forward, means it could pass for a Mojave 3 record made while primary songwriter Neil Halstead was too busy hanging ten. This, for the most part, is a good thing, but the record is rather safe, lacking an adventurousness that is only touched upon and possibly kept under wraps for the sake of not seeming like too much of a departure. Field recordings that are incorporated into the songs are very discreet, and a couple other tunes wouldn't be out of place in commercials plugging some mature teenage drama on the WB. Regardless, Waves Are Universal proves that Goswell can carry a whole record on her own without any trouble. A second solo album — with more risks taken — is a necessary thing.