It might be somewhat of a stereotype that there is a parable with good bands and their early records, where the first is the raw gem breaking onto the scene, the second is the place for dangerous experimentation, and the third is the album of maturity, where some kind of balance is reached and some […]
I discovered Walt Disco at a festival in 2019, when I went to see them on the sole strength of the fact that they had what is objectively one of the best band names I’ve ever heard. I remember a very raw and very energetic performance which placed them immediately pretty close to the top […]
Black Country, New Road’s debut, For the First Time, was easily one of the most interesting records in 2021. A number of features made it stand out – its ability to pair innovation and traditional sound to create something new, the boldness of the construction of its musical structures, the finesse in the interplay of […]
It has been a big year for the album, pivotal, you might even say. World records have been set, historic numbers have been sold and creativity has been high. Not only have we experienced new works from some of the globe’s most prevalent stars (including Adele, ABBA, Billie Eilish and Coldplay) but there has been […]
Brimming with limitless innovation and confidence, Liverpool’s Natalie McCool lands a great artistic leap forward with her latest LP, Memory Girl. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has become an admired figure of the alt-pop scene, putting in the years constantly developing and honing her sound. Here, five years on since her last full length release, The […]
Even before you hear a note of Spud Cannon’s third album, Good Kids Make Bad Apples, the band already have a couple of things in their favour.
Folk singer-songwriter Chloe Foy has been building up a steady momentum for several years now, and here she truly delivers with a dazzling set of versatile, emotionally reflective work on the wonderfully titled, Where Shall We Begin, her debut LP out this Friday, 11th June.
Squid are one of those bands whose output has been steadily growing in quality through the last couple of years, which makes their debut album Bright Green Field one of the 2021 records I was awaiting most eagerly. It contains some familiar tunes and a good number of bold new ideas, packaged together in an […]
Some albums have a standing almost more as a work of performance art than one of music, and this The Sticky Fingers, the work of Berlin-based singer-songwriter Albertine Sarges with her newly-formed band of the same name, very much feels like one of those. Not only the lyrics are heavily conceptual in nature, touching upon […]
The highly anticipated second album by Shame has finally arrived, and it confirms the impression that 2021 has started with a bang and promises to be a very good year for UK music. The South London band has risen to the challenge of the sophomore long player with the same bold attitude they bring to […]
LICE have really come a long way. Originally hailed as punks, the Bristol band soon after took a detour by unexpected routes into post-punk territories, and now they have emerged after two years of work with a concept-heavy album that is something else entirely. The album comes accompanied by a booklet – in a style […]
While it is easy to encapsulate 2020 as a year of challenge and global crisis, the last twelve months have also spurred a great deal of reflection, community resilience and spirit. Initiatives like Tim’s Twitter Listening Party, Snow Patrol’s Saturday Songwrite and Bandcamp’s Bandcamp Fridays have shown what pure intention and dedication can create, especially […]
Edinburgh born, London-based musician Genevieve Dawson has been impressing our ears ever since her debut EP release, Things My Mother Tells Me. Since then she’s gone from strength to strength, and last month released her debut LP, Letters I Won’t Send via Hertha Records, an independent co-operative label based in South East London for women and […]
It is often dubbed the “difficult” second album, in most cases this statement duly proves to be mere superstition or rather an unfortunate belief in the folklore of artistic stagnation, while the creation of Broken Hands’ sophomore record was fairly straight-forward on the surface, its arrival into the world has been far from it. A […]
Hailing from the Catalan region of Spain, the now-London living artist, Odina is all set to release her debut album, What I Never Told You on 21st August. The record is a culmination of years of work from the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and is intrinsically a confessional project that deals with everything from heartache […]
Southend-on-Sea alt rock outfit Asylums return this month with their third LP, Genetic Cabaret, released on the band’s own independent label, Cool Thing Records. It’s both testament of their dedication to the DIY ethos that they’ve built their name on, and also to the concept of the album as an art form. In an age […]
It’s often said that the second album is the hardest in the career of any artist, and it’s even harder when it follows a debut album that has propelled you to being one of the highlights in the current rock scene. The Blinders have definitely enjoyed such a spot since the release of their first […]
The sun’s been shining for weeks, the sky’s remaining blue – we should be on the cusp of a spectacular festival season. However, the exceptional circumstances that 2020 will always be remembered for has sadly put thoughts of gathering in fields and tents and taking away special memories of performances and artists we caught up […]
We’re living in confusing times. Lockdown has disturbed our natural rhythms. There’s time to think; perhaps too much time, and not all the thoughts are welcome. Looking for something to soundtrack this state of uncertainty, the unsettling internal dialogue, the wonder of what’s next, and the quiet reflection?
Over the last couple of years, and over a good number of brilliant live performances, Indian Queens have done something that every band should do before releasing their first long player: they have built very strong foundations for it to stand on. They have refined their sound, made it immediately recognisable in all its trademark […]