Only Shallow

Serving as the bludgeoning opening track to 'Loveless', 'Only Shallow' immediately establishes the album's signature contrast between visceral noise and delicate melody. Colm Ó Cíosóig's sampled, looping snare drum roll kicks off four distinct bursts of Kevin Shields' monstrous, effect-laden guitar feedback, which abruptly recedes to reveal Bilinda Butcher's whispered, ethereal vocals. It remains an unparalleled masterclass in alternative rock dynamics.