Shoegaze is a genre built on paradoxes: massive walls of sound yet deeply intimate, ethereal but crushingly heavy, nostalgic while forever forward-thinking. In the 90s, the UK had its undisputed titans—My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Slowdive—but across the pond, American bands were quietly (or maybe not-so-quietly) carving out their own take on the genre. Enter Drop Nineteens and their 1992 debut album, Delaware, a record that remains a point of contention among shoegaze fans. Is it an underrated masterpiece or a spotty experience? Let’s break it down.

The Highs: When It Hits, It Hits Hard

Let’s give credit where it’s due: when Delaware works, it really works. There are moments on this album where Drop Nineteens tap into something magical, something that feels effortlessly dreamy, grungy, and emotionally raw all at once.

“Delaware”

The title track serves as amazing opener, setting the tone of what’s to expect going forward, catchy college radio pop rock swimming under multiple layers of guitars and noise rock influence.

“Kick the Tragedy”

Easily the album’s crown jewel. This eight-minute odyssey isn’t just a song; it’s an experience. A slow-burning, shimmering anthem that climaxes with a spoken-word passage that sounds like someone left their heart on the pavement. It’s cinematic, melancholic, and arguably one of the finest moments in American shoegaze. If you only listen to one track from this album, make it this one.

“Happen”

Absolute banger at the mid-way point of the album where the rhythm section anchors an intense angsty vibe that overall, just rocks.

“Winona”

A perfect balance between dreamy and punchy, “Winona” manages to blend alt-rock hooks with shoegaze textures, creating a song that’s both catchy and beautifully melancholic. The song’s structure feels more straightforward compared to some of the album’s more sprawling tracks, making it one of Delaware’s most accessible moments.

“Angel”

A cover of Madonna’s 1985 hit, this track is an unexpected delight. It takes the glossy pop original and drowns it in hazy distortion, turning it into something wistful and haunting. It’s a rare case where a cover both honors and completely reinvents the source material.

These tracks alone make Delaware an album worth visiting, but the journey to them? Well, let’s just say it’s not always smooth sailing.

The Lows: A Mixed Bag of Ideas (Some of Which Should Have Stayed in the Bag)

The biggest issue with Delaware? Consistency. It’s not that the bad tracks are unbearably bad—it’s just that they often feel half-baked, unfocused, or out of place within the album’s shoegaze framework.

“Baby Wonder’s Gone” & “My Aquarium”

These acoustic-led detours aren’t bad per se, but they feel like intermissions that slightly overstay their welcome. The stripped-down approach works in theory (contrast is good!), but in execution, they sap the album of its momentum. If you came here for swirling guitars and immersive soundscapes, these tracks might leave you checking your watch. It’s especially puzzling that the single version of My Aquarium was swapped out for the “unplugged” style rendition as it would have fit in more with the songs that i consider to be the stand outs on this album.

Lyrics? Uh… Not the Selling Point

Look, no one comes to a shoegaze record expecting Dylan-esque poetry, but some of the lyrics on Delaware are at times rough. Case in point: “Ease It Halen,” which name-drops Van Halen songs like a teenager filling out their first mixtape. It’s playful, sure, but it feels like a novelty track that just doesn’t hold up on repeat listens and quickly cools things down a bit coming after the stellar opener that Delaware was.

Caught Between Innovation and Imitation

One of the most common critiques of Delaware is that it borrows a lot from its obvious influences (which is even more of an issue on their follow up album “National Coma”). And honestly? It’s a fair point. There are loud echoes of their UK and US counterparts all over this album, and at times, you can almost hear My Bloody Valentine or Sonic Youth peeking through the mix.

But is that necessarily a bad thing? Shoegaze is a genre built on influence, a constant recycling of dreamy textures and woozy, otherworldly atmospheres. Drop Nineteens may not reinvent the wheel, but they do Americanize it. While MBV and Slowdive often feel like they’re floating in a dream, Drop Nineteens bring a grungier, more grounded approach—something that feels less like a ethereal journey and more like a road trip through hazy adolescent memories.

The Emotional Core: Nostalgia Wrapped in Haze

For all its inconsistencies, Delaware carries a strange, nostalgic charm. There’s a youthful energy to it, a sense that this album was made by kids just going for it—sometimes succeeding brilliantly, sometimes tripping over their own ambition. That’s part of what makes it compelling.

It’s an album that captures a moment, both in the band’s career and in the broader evolution of 90s alt-rock. While it may not have achieved the legendary status of Loveless or Souvlaki, it still holds a special place for those who stumbled upon it at the right time. It’s the kind of album that might not grab you on first listen but sneaks up on you when you least expect it.

Final Verdict: Is Delaware Worth Your Time?

So, should you listen to Delaware? The answer depends on what you’re looking for.

• If you’re a shoegaze purist hoping for another Loveless, this might leave you frustrated with its uneven production and songwriting.
• If you’re looking for a good-but-flawed gem from the genre’s early 90s heyday, Delaware has plenty of moments worth diving into.
• And if you’re just here for “Kick the Tragedy” and “Winona”? No one would blame you.

At its best, Delaware is immersive, dreamy, and effortlessly cool. At its worst, it’s unfocused and frustratingly uneven. But maybe that’s part of its charm—an ambitious, messy, flawed album that still finds ways to resonate. Whether you love it or not, one thing’s for sure: Delaware is a shoegaze relic worth talking about.

Score: 3.5/5 (Flawed, but undeniably interesting).