Shelter

Shelter is the fourth studio album by French shoegaze band Alcest. It was released on 17 January 2014 via Prophecy Productions. The album's name is related to the album's overall concept of shelter, "a safe place to escape, this secret thing we all have when life is going too fast and you are full of anxiety." The album marks a significant stylistic shift for the band, fully embracing the band's shoegaze and dream pop influences while eliminating the previous metal influences, with Rolling Stone writing that the album has "more in common genetically with Sigur Rós than Satyricon." Musical style, recording and writing The album's style sees the band delving deeper into their shoegaze influences and "leaving metal behind" entirely. Rolling Stone compared the album to "If the Cocteau Twins discovered a long-lost triplet who had slugged it out in space-pop groups and post-rock bands", comparing the style to Slowdive, Mogwai, and Sigur Rós. According to AllMusic's Thom Jurek, "It is deeply indebted to its '90s British inspirational sources and wholly invested in the melodic sensibilities this group has displayed from the very beginning." Other critics have highlighted the post-rock influence on the album, comparing the closing track 'Délivrance' to This Will Destroy You, God Is an Astronaut, and similar bands. The concept of the album is encapsulated in the album's title: Shelter. In an interview with Spin, Neige explained that "It's just a safe place to escape, this secret thing we all have when life is going too fast and you are full of anxiety", adding that "This shelter could be anything – a person, a movie, music. It's something that reminds you in a way of who you are, like a mirror, and convinces you to get lost." In a separate interview, he explained that "We all have things that are helping us. I wouldn't say that I’m a depressive person because I’m not, but I can have darker moments, and it really helps me. ‘Shelter’ is about that." Neige found his shelter in the sea, saying "I love to spend time by the sea, just having very simple moments disconnected from the stress of everyday life and sitting on the beach and watching the waves." Neige has discussed their choice to work with Birgir Jón Birgisson and record the album in Iceland, explaining that previous recording studios specialized in metal, whereas the band were interested in pursuing a different sound on this album. "We wanted to change our habits, and to take a bit more risks.