Spooky (album)

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!".

Spooky
Studio album by Lush
Released	27 January 1992
Recorded	July – October 1991
Studio	September Sound, London
Genre	Shoegaze dream pop
Length	48:21
Label	4AD
Producer	Robin Guthrie
Lush chronology
Black Spring (1991) Spooky (1992) Split (1994)
Singles from Spooky
"Nothing Natural" Released: 7 October 1991 "For Love" Released: 30 December 1991 "Superblast!" Released: February 1992

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[2]
NME	7/10[3]
Pitchfork	8.6/10[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]
Select	4/5[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

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

Release history

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

• "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

Lush

• Miki Berenyi – vocals, guitar
• Emma Anderson – guitar, vocals
• Steve Rippon – bass
• Chris Acland – drums

Charts

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