After more than two decades, Irish shoegazing band “My Bloody Valentine” has finally released the follow-up to their critically adored 1991 album “Loveless.” To say this release has been eagerly anticipated would be an understatement. Titled simply “m b v,” this album was released rather unexpectedly and, for the time being, only available through the band’s website, which promptly crashed due to traffic. But does it live up to the band’s legacy? Yes and no.

To the uninitiated, “My Bloody Valentine’s” trademark sound is a brick

wall of distortion and noise in which almost whispered vocals are mired. To the fans, and anyone willing to embrace the blanket of fuzz-tone guitars and swirling effects, they are the sonic equivalent of Jackson Pollack. Beneath the roiling chaos is an almost saccharine sweetness. Their sound betrays influences of 60s psychedelia and 70s post-punk, thrown in a cement mixer and played at 100 decibels.

The first half of “m b v” feels more like a companion piece than a sequel to “Loveless,” their sound seemingly unchanged in the interceding decades. This isn’t surprising considering much of this material was recorded in the 90s. It also feels like a much more lightweight affair, and its songs lack much of the urgency and immediately recognizable guitar hooks of its predecessor. This is both a strength and a weakness, and this softer, more playful tone helps to differentiate it from that album. Nonetheless, like “Loveless,” “m b v” reveals an astonishing level of nuance.

The second half is a breath of fresh air, however. Some of its best moments are when it restrains its aural excesses, as on “New You.” Easily one of the best tracks on the album, “New You” relies on an incessant and catchy drumbeat to carry a very simple melody. Following this simple, sweet affair is the sublimely anthemic “In Another Way,” which delivers on all the promises of “Loveless” and more. Definitely the standout track here.

The album builds to crescendo so beautifully that the end is downright abrupt; it drives you up a hill and drops you off a cliff. Closing out “m b v” is “Wonder 2”, which sees “My Bloody Valentine” experimenting with some speedy, distorted drum n’ bass loops about a decade after that was in vogue.

That is a large part of its charm, though. “m b v” is an album intentionally out of time. It is the culmination of 20 years of work, 20 years of band in-fighting and false starts, 20 years of experimentation. And it shows; both in its meticulous attention to detail and its hopelessly dated sound.

Why Kevin Shields and company chose now to release this material we will likely never know. All in all it’s a very good album that largely does what is expected. It successfully replicates the sound of an album that has gained near-mythic status, and manages to surprise the listener once or twice. For fans of “Loveless,” “m b v” will not disappoint. Neither, however, is it a revelation.