Chapterhouse formed in 1987, but they spent years before they even put down a demo tape. They would rather focus on their live performances, and to perfection their music before releasing it. In 1990 they released their first several singles and EPs, including Pearl, and in 1991 their debut full-length, Whirlpool. At the time acclaimed but overshadowed, it is now considered a shoegaze classic.
Chapterhouse was originally heavily inspired by Spacemen 3, but with the Pearl EP the My Bloody Valentine-influences was seemingly becoming bigger, and that element only improved with Whirlpool. Initially, however, they were labeled alongside the likes of Spacemen 3, and Spacemen 3 would soon return interest in Chapterhouse. After discovering them in 1988, Sonic Boom was eager to release Chapterhouse-material on his label Bop-a-Sonic. While that never happened, they would eventually sign with Dedicated Records, Spacemen 3's former label.
Whirlpool is upbeat and blissful at one moment, and dark and sluggish at the next. It sounds like a nice mix of Slowdive's ethereal dream pop and My Bloody Valentine's harsh shoegaze, but at times much more pop-oriented than both. "Pearl" is among the catchiest of shoegaze and their biggest, er, 'hit', "Treasure" is repetitive and mesmerising, while "Something More" would be an excellent album closer if it wasn't for the 2 bonus tracks included here. Those 2 bonus tracks - "Mesmerise" and "Precious One" - are however absolutely excellent.
I just realised that the cover is probably a cat. I always thought it looked like a deformed wookie.
Whirlpool
Pearl EP
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