Waves Are Universal


Waves Are Universal is the debut solo album from former Slowdive and Mojave 3 singer/guitarist Rachel Goswell. It was produced by David Naughton, and released by 4AD on June 14, 2004, in the UK and June 22, 2004, in the US. The album was recorded after production and touring for Mojave 3's album Spoon and Rafter resumed. The songs "Plucked" and "Sleepless & Tooting" appeared on Rachel's EP The Sleep Shelter, released prior to the album in May 2004, and both "Coastline" and "Plucked" were remixed and featured on a special single released in February 2005. Waves Are Universal was released to generally positive reviews, receiving an overall 66% positive rating on Metacritic. In December 2004, American webzine Somewhere Cold ranked Waves Are Universal No. 7 on their 2004 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame list.

Track listing

  1. "Warm Summer Sun" – 3:45
  2. "Gather Me Up" – 2:24
  3. "No Substitute" – 4:36
  4. "Deelay" – 4:13
  5. "Plucked" – 3:08
  6. "Hope" – 3:52
  7. "Coastline" – 5:43
  8. "Shoulder the Blame" – 3:06
  9. "Save Yourself" – 3:59
  10. "Thru the Dawn" – 3:09
  11. "Beautiful Feeling" – 3:27
  12. "Sleepless & Tooting" – 3:01

    Credits

  1. "Warm Summer Sun"
  2. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, accordion, squeeze box
  3. * Joe Light – acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar
  4. * David Naughton – dumb bass, fuzz bass, 12-string guitar, shaker
  5. * Bill Drake – piano
  6. * Jerome Farrell – uilleann pipes
  7. * Ashley Bates – drums
  8. * Ambiences: Lostwithiel church bells and Chislehurst Caves
  9. "Gather Me Up"
  10. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, acoustic guitar
  11. * Bill Drake – harmonium
  12. * Jerome Farrell – low D whistle
  13. * Ashley Bates – ding
  14. * Mother Nature: Lostwithiel birds and ambience
  15. "No Substitute"
  16. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, claps
  17. * Joe Light – acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, electric guitar
  18. * David Naughton – bass, shaker, tambourine, claps
  19. * Ashley Bates – drums
  20. * Bill Drake – piano
  21. * Ambience: St Merryn airfield
  22. "Deelay"
  23. * Rachel Goswell – vocals
  24. * Joe Light – acoustic guitar, swell guitar, rhythm guitar, ebo guitar
  25. * David Naughton – bass, accordion, shaker, tambourine, guitar knock, heartbeat
  26. "Plucked"
  27. * Rachel Goswell – vocals
  28. * Joe Light – acoustic guitars
  29. * David Naughton – caved Wurlitzer, string arrangement
  30. * Jeremy Perl – cello
  31. * Bronwyn Stride – violin
  32. * Ambiences: Chislehurst Caves and Thai insects
  33. "Hope"
  34. * Rachel Goswell – vocals
  35. * Joe Light – acoustic guitars
  36. * David Naughton – bass, percussion
  37. * Bill Drake – harmonium
  38. * Lynne Jackaman – bangles
  39. * Ambiences: Camden Road and Chislehurst Caves
  40. "Coastline"
  41. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar
  42. * Joe Light – slide guitar, guitar effects
  43. * David Naughton – bass, 12-string guitar, bongos
  44. * Ashley Bates – drums, tambourine, lion's roar
  45. "Shoulder the Blame"
  46. * Rachel Goswell – vocals
  47. * Joe Light – bass, acoustic guitar, arch top slide guitar, lead guitar
  48. * David Naughton – pot, letterbox bells
  49. * Mother Nature: Thai waves
  50. "Save Yourself"
  51. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, acoustic strum guitar
  52. * Joe Light – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  53. * David Naughton – harmonium
  54. * Bill Drake – piano
  55. * Ashley Bates – drums
  56. "Thru the Dawn"
  57. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, acoustic guitar
  58. * David Naughton – shaker, vibraphone
  59. * Melanie Shallenberg – flute
  60. * Mother Nature: rain
  61. "Beautiful Feeling"
  62. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, acoustic guitar, accordion
  63. * Jeremy Perl – cello
  64. * Richard Lane – violin
  65. * Michael Perl – violin
  66. * Reiad Chiba – viola
  67. "Sleepless & Tooting"
  68. * Rachel Goswell – vocals, snare drum
  69. * Joe Light – bass, main guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bongos, shaker, low hit
  70. * David Naughton – mini Spanish guitar, rain stick, ethnic tambourine, ride cymbal
  71. * Bill Drake – Hammond organ
  • Recorded at:
  • * The Troll Boudoir, Camden
  • * The Sleep Shelter, Tooting
  • * Tower of Power, London
  • * The Shed & The Cottage, Lostwithiel
  • * Mayfair 6, London
  • * M3 HQ, St Merryn
  • * Beech Studios, London
  • Ambient field recordings recorded at:
  • * Chislehurst Caves, Kent
  • * Lostwithiel
  • * St Merryn airfield
  • * Camden Road, London
  • * Chiang Mai and Cha-am, Thailand
  • Copyist: Stephen Lipson.
  • Mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis Mastering.
  • Front cover oil painting by T. Jackiewiecz.
  • Layout by Alison Fielding.
  • Typography by Rachel Goswell.
  • Inner sleeve main photograph by Alan Forrester.
  • Snapshots by Ashley Bates, David Naughton, and Rachel Goswell.