The enormously gifted guitarist Robin Guthrie, formerly of Cocteau Twins, boasts one of the most impressive private studios of equipment. He once joked with a reporter that Mr. Shields of MBV had some widgets that he'd like to own, and that he had some stuff that Mr. Shields would like.But the similarity ends there. Notwithstanding the obscene expense to produce Loveless, the recording fails to impress. Mr. Shields does little more than drone on with monotonous chording. There's no arpeggio work here, no compelling technique, texture or tone. And the breathy vocals are impossible to discern in the poor mix.Don't buy into the hype. Invest wisely; buy a Cocteau Twins or Mazzy Star recording for something similar but far, far better.