Lush – Spooky (vinyl album)

With a run of early EPs and the mini-album “Scar” laying the groundwork, “Spooky” arrived in 1990 as Lush’s first full-length statement — a defining moment for British indie music at the dawn of a new decade. Produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins, the album crystallized Lush’s blend of dream-pop haze, razor-bright guitar work, and floating harmonies into something both ethereal and propulsive. Tracks like “Nothing Natural,” “For Love,” and “Superblast!” showcased a band moving with confidence into their own sonic terrain: layered, luminous, and emotionally charged.

“Spooky” stands as a key album in the evolution of shoegaze and the more melodic side of the 4AD aesthetic, balancing shimmering atmospheres with a restless energy beneath the surface. Guthrie’s production opens the songs into widescreen textures — billowing reverb, chiming guitars, and a suspended sense of motion — while the band’s songwriting anchors the sound with sharp hooks and a modern pop sensibility.

Visually, the record carries the unmistakable signature of v23, the design partnership of Vaughan Oliver and Chris Bigg, whose work shaped an entire era of independent music culture. Their cover for “Spooky” wraps Lush’s sound in a dreamlike, tactile world of color and abstraction — both inviting and elusive, perfectly aligned with the album’s mix of clarity and blur. As with so many v23 designs, the artwork is inseparable from the music, extending its emotional palette and giving the record a visual language of its own.

A landmark debut, “Spooky” captures Lush at a moment of creative formation, distilling their early promise into a fully realised and enduringly influential album.