Cherry Red Records Announces We Are the Beautiful Shoegaze Compilation
Back in 2016, Cherry Red Records released Still In a Dream, a massive five-disc compilation that highlighted the history of the shoegaze and dream pop genres. But apparently, they didn’t think they did a good enough a job, and have announced a second shoegaze compilation. We Are the Beautiful is an upcoming four-disc boxset that “[charts] the story of the shoegaze movement — from the UK underground to international phenomenon.”
The compilations features plenty of genre legends and luminaries, including Ride, Lush, Catherine Wheel, Kitchens of Distinction, Slowdive, and Chapterhouse (whose song “We Are the Beautiful” gave the compilation its title). But it also features plenty of lesser-known shoegaze (and shoegaze-adjacent) artists from around the world, including The Veldt, Anilore, The Mary Onettes, and Pinkshinyultrablast. I’m also pretty chuffed to see the inclusion of Starflyer 59 and Morella’s Forest.
Here’s the complete tracklisting:
Disc One
- Ride - "Vapour Trail"
- The Telescopes - "Flying"
- Lush - "Nothing Natural"
- The Ecstasy Of St. Theresa - "What's"
- Bleach - "Burn"
- That Uncertain Feeling - "Sunriser"
- The Charlottes - "Love In The Emptiness (Album Version)"
- Blind Mr. Jones - "Eyes Wide"
- Curve - "Horror Head"
- Catherine Wheel - "I Want To Touch You"
- Pale Saints - "Throwing Back The Apple"
- Sun Dial - "Let It Go"
- Drop Nineteens - "My Aquarium (Second Time Around)"
- Kitchens Of Distinction - "When In Heaven"
- Swallow - "Lovesleep"
- Adorable - "Homeboy"
- Moonshake - "Blister"
- Teenage Filmstars - "Inner Space"
Disc Two
- Slowdive - "Souvlaki Space Station"
- Secret Shine - "Suck Me Down"
- Chapterhouse - "We Are The Beautiful"
- Ultra Vivid Scene - "Medicating Angels"
- Here - "Haze"
- Cranes - "Shining Road"
- Revolver - "Cradle Snatch"
- The Veldt - "Heather"
- Venus Beads - "Shackled"
- Alison's Halo - "Calendar"
- Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Crushed"
- Starflyer 59 - "She's The Queen"
- Morella's Forest - "Hang Out"
- An April March - "Let Everyone Down"
- Anilore - "Movement (2025 Mix)"
Disc Three
- Cocteau Twins - "Violane"
- The Autumns - "The Garden Ends"
- Bethany Curve - "Serene And Smiling"
- All Natural Lemon And Lime Flavors - "Emergency Turn Off"
- Piano Magic - "Snowfall Soon"
- Lowsunday - "She Follows Rain"
- Bowery Electric - "Floating World"
- Mira - "Cayman"
- Andalusia - "Swallow"
- Con Dolore - "Dream"
- Asobi Seksu - "Sooner"
- Ashrae Fax - "Ultravaca"
- Stella Luna - "Change"
- Pluramon - "Hello, Shadow (Ft. Julee Cruise)"
- Skywave - "Fire"
- The Lost Patrol - "Velveteen"
Disc Four
- Televise - "Outside Out"
- Soundpool - "Millions&Billions&Trillions"
- Film School - "On & On"
- The Prids - "Like Hearts"
- Alcian Blue - "71705"
- The Mary Onettes - "Lost"
- School Of Seven Bells - "My Cabal"
- A Place To Bury Strangers - "I Know I'll See You"
- Bell Hollow - "Seven Sisters"
- The Daysleepers - "Release The Kraken"
- Screen Vinyl Image - "Cathode Ray"
- Pinkshinyultrablast - "Blaster"
- The Big Pink - "Crystal Visions"
- Pink Playground - "Sunny Skies (EP Version)"
- Ceremony East Coast - "Don't Leave Me Behind"
- Ringo Deathstarr - "Shadow"
- Tamaryn - "Love Fade"
- Tears Run Rings - "Forgotten"
In addition to the music, We Are the Beautiful will also feature an essay and band biographies by Frank Deserto, who also blogs at Post-Punk.com and Systems of Romance (and also does plenty of his own gazing as bassist for New York’s The Harrow).
We Are the Beautiful will be released on July 31, 2026 and preorders are now available. U.S.-based customers might consider preordering their copy from Projekt Records. (The label’s own Lowsunday and Mira appear on the compilation.)