Once again we’re reaching another culmination of sorts, the last 12 months have been testing and life-changing in many ways but equally it has been a great year for new releases and fresh exciting talent, with the likes of Black Foxxes making a storming entrance with a groundbreaking debut record, assuring all that British rock […]
Live albums are tricky in many ways. Firstly, they’re tricky to do well: their purpose is essentially to capture a performance that was as much experienced through eyes as through ears, and make it almost as satisfying as a solely aural experience. It’s essentially the artist saying, “If you went, you can attempt to relive […]
Two years after releasing their debut LP ‘Be Slowly’, JAWS are back. Bigger and better than ever with their new album ‘Simplicity’. The Brummie trio recently took time out from their musical endeavour in order to have a recharge and boy does it show, there is a real depth with ‘Simplicity’ that wasn’t particularly seen […]
Lewis Del Mar deliver indie pop…with a punch. Their upcoming debut album ‘Lewis Del Mar’, released 7th October, following on from the success of their ‘Loud(y)’ EP, doesn’t shy away from exploring urban landscapes; combining mellow acoustics with flashes of electric guitar, stick-slapping drum beats and footage from the very streets around us.
Perhaps Chain Wallet’s self-titled debut is far away from aged Nordic tradition, in its sound, but the atmosphere of life in a rainy, melancholy Scandinavian town is vividly illustrated. It could be the lo-fi production, exquisitely crafted by Matias Tellez, but the nostalgia bares the feeling of discovering an old album and reminiscing about times gone by.
Belgian dream pop group Few Bits are a band with good vibes. On new album ‘Big Sparks’ they actualise their mighty aspirations and set the space glowing in auburn hues with positive affirmations. Carrying an upbeat and uplifting feel throughout the album, this is a record perfect for chilled days relaxing in the sun. Vocalist […]
London gloom merchants White Lies have become a staple in our music consumption since the release of their debut album, ‘To Lose My Life’. Now four albums in, the trio are baring a new confidence, ‘Friends’ is a record that boasts ten wildly energetic, hopeful and poignant musings about the changing nature of relationships.
Sunjacket are a band from Chicago, who’s sound ranges from dark, synth-driven pop to layered, syncopated rock. Their debut LP ‘Mantra’ fuses different tropes to great effect: it’s unusual, thoughtful and definitely not the typical ‘indie’ music that we’re hearing a lot of at the minute. What must be noted is the band’s use of varying instruments […]
In today’s musical climate it is tough to compete, let alone be heard, in an industry that is brimming with talent from blossoming new artists to already established favourites. So all we do is hope that the good rises to the top and triumphs, but like everything in life, sometimes this isn’t always the case. […]
There’s a lot riding on Delamere right now. Their debut album isn’t just the band’s first, it’s also the flagship release from Scruff Of The Neck Records – it’s the first record the label have ever put out. Clearly, there’s a lot of anticipation in both parties.
Album craft these days seems to have become an even more complex art. As, ironically, their place in music consumption is becoming less and less certain. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal et al. have begun to breed a more lean-back playlist culture – why limit yourself to one band’s long form when you can experience multiple […]
Star Park’s ‘Don’t Dwell’ is a gloriously hazy – undeniably 70’s – endearingly bittersweet masterpiece. It is romantic in the truest sense of the word. Its nine tracks all hum heavily with a sort of ethereal fuzz, and each boast their own wonderful rustic charm. I am absolutely attached. I needed this in my life. […]
With so many great (yes, great) synth-pop bands – Metronomy and CHVRCHES to name a few, taking the music industry, chewing it up and spitting it back out again. Now is the turn of Benjamin Dunn – otherwise known as ‘The Wild Wild’.
Cage The Elephant have (thankfully) made their return and graced us with the maturity that was always in deep down inside of them. The band’s fourth album Tell Me I’m Pretty comes two years after the huge success of Melophobia – nominated for a grammy in ‘Best Alternative Album’ – and slots in comfortably alongside all […]
2015 has been full of surprises. From Ryan Adam’s cover album of Taylor Swift’s critically acclaimed 1989, to Kayne’s headline slot at Glastonbury and the re-emergence of Adele. Right the way to Justin Bieber’s blonde haired return to the airwaves and a new Coldplay album, it’s been an eventful 12 months that’s for sure.
In the dimly lit ambience of one of Sydney’s most nostalgic hotels, two singer songwriters set out to figure out exactly who they were and what kind of mark they were to make on the music scene. At the time, Melinda Kirwin and Simon Rudston-Brown probably had no idea that not only would they become […]
Nothing But Thieves are an artist I first heard about when they came to play The Portland Arms in Cambridge (….getting the home-town plug in early doors!) in February 2014, to what can be flatteringly described as a ‘modest’ crowd. In the 18 months since they have evidently been busy grafting away at the touring […]
The anticipation for Broken Hands debut album has been churning since the band revealed at the top of the year, the first taster of the record ‘Death Grip’. A turbulent four-to-the-floor groove machine. Since then, the band have further treated us to the mighty ‘Meteor’ and the stunning new single ‘Who Sent You’.
Prides are a band that we have cherished ever since they stepped out perfectly formed in the summer of 2013 with their début offering ‘Out of the Blue’, and from then on it’s been hit after hit of seemingly too good to be true synth pop bangers. And with the release of the Glaswegian trio’s first full length, it […]
It’s hard to believe, ‘Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful’ is Flo Morrissey’s DEBUT album. For such a young musician, there is so much maturity in her writing and elegance in the delivery of her vocals. The album is seamless; contrasting yet complimentary from song to song. Morrissey’s voice is distinctive and wistful; the production and arrangements […]