Love Spirals Downwards’ third album, Ever (1996), is an intriguing blend of acoustic folk-tinged rock and dubby electronica sounds. Bandleader Ryan Lum told Acoustic Guitar in 1997, “One thing I like about our new album is that it’s almost impossible to categorize. There are really folky songs, really electronic, ambient drone songs, and then these weird loopy psychedelic songs. I think it all works together really well — it isn’t a huge shock from one to the next.”

“Ever is the duo’s most musically diverse to date, spanning a space between simple, flowing acoustic guitar and vocal melodies to euphoric, looping atmospheric ambience. Ever is a unification of vocal, guitar, and electronic elements, distilled to the essence which remains Love Spirals Downwards’ unique, sumptuous sound.” ~ Projekt Records

For the newly expanded reissue Lum returned to his master DAT tapes and re-mastered each track individually to ensure the finest fidelity possible. His aim was to remain true to the original 1996 release, while subtly sweetening the overall sound spectrum. Eleven additional tracks have been added, as well, including previously unreleased instrumentals, an electronica song featuring Suzanne Perry’s dreamy vocals, plus a live radio performance by Ryan and Suzanne of the haunting “Above the Lone,” an acoustic mix of “Sideways Forest,” and the popular b-side, “Amarillo.”

The sensually ambient “Madras” was selected for the iTunes Essentials Shoegaze & Beyond playlist alongside legendary bands Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Jesus and Mary Chain, Lush and more.

CONTEMPORANEOUS REVIEWS:

“Sailing on a gossamer sheen, swaying like a leaf lightly transversing the airwaves, Love Spirals Downwards unleashes achingly sweet melodies, lead by the siren voice of Suzanne Perry, and tucked in a bed of soft ambient atmospheres and bittersweet acoustic strumming. There isn’t a lot to this band’s ethereal sounds: a repeating synth figure, some soft beats, understated acoustic accompaniment, and Perry’s barely distinguishable lyrics sung with the light touch care of someone handling a glass figurine. Only here, less is more. Haunting like an unshakeable dream, songs such as “Last Classic” and “Promises” infiltrate your consciousness, filling it with gentle brooding. Even the lesser tunes, including the half dozen instrumentals not graced by Perry’s remarkable voice, deliver delicate foreboding allure, like mist at the dawn’s break. This proves itself to be rather affecting mood music.”  ~ Chris Parker, Bikini Magazine

“Shoegazing is a pastime that hasn’t been explored to its full potential since Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell disbanded the swirling soundscape of Slowdive to persue the acoustic strum of Mojave 3. In some ways, California’s Love Spirals Downwards is set not only to continue the legacy laid by the ethereal rockers of yore, but also to fill in a few of the links that have been left missing. Ever, the duo’s third full-length release, is an achingly beautiful, enchanting maelstrom of emotion that fuses honey-dripped vocals, delicate guitars and electronic backdrops of sedate, swirling synthesizers, effectively capturing what Halstead and Goswell missed in their transition. LSD’s sound centers around the patterns that occur when [Ryan Lum’s] acoustic 6-strings are covered by a blanked of lush, gorgeous noise. The 11-track recording is accented by the angelic harmonies of Suzanne Perry, who like pioneering vocalists within the genre, is effective not because of what she says, but for how she says it. Slow, somber, and beautiful beyond reason, this LSD just might be the burgeoning leader of another full-on ethereal rock revival.” ~ M. Tye Comer, CMJ Weekly

“In the past 10 years, countless shoegazing dream-pop bands have come and gone, leaving behind a large but largely forgotten body of lush, languorous work. If that ethereal little subgenre is dead, Love Spirals Downwards plays “post-shoegazer” music, co-opting the crisply pretty guitar lines and billowy female vocals—and stripping away the layers of cloudiness that typify the work of bands like Slowdive and pre-1995 Lush. Ever, Love Spirals Downwards’ third album, plays through like one long, meandering voice, albeit one that’s sometimes fed through filters or accompanied by acoustic guitars and the occasional electronic noise. Singer Suzanne Perry has one of those high, hypnotic voices that swoop and soar dramatically, and it’s awfully pretty to listen to. A nice, airy surprise, recalling many of the best things about a lot of dead-and-gone bands.” ~Stephen Thompson, AV Club

“Love Spirals Downwards paint visions with incredibly complex, yet gently real ethereal ambient strokes. Suzanne Perry’s achingly lovely voice caresses you, swaddles you in a warm melody, reminding you of everyone you have ever cared for, everyone you have ever loved and lost. Ryan Lum’s softly strummed guitar grows fuzzy with distortion, clear with percussion, then disappears from view entirely, only to reappear as something different. Seen through the kaleidoscopic glass of Love Spirals Downwards, the world becomes a wonderfully irrational place, where very little makes sense, but everything feels right. From the sexually charged dub hypnotics of “Madras,” to the subtly peripheral guitar and vocal distortions of “Promises,” to the blinding-white ecstasy and dark loss despair of “Above the Lone,” and capped off by the incredible cool fairy dance whirling, leaf-rattling vision trip of “Ananda,” theirs is a world you will want to make your own, even as it slips through your fingers.” ~ Dave Aftandilian, University of Chicago Free Press