Sparklehorse - Bird Machine (Album Review)
Photo: Danny Clinch Across four albums spanning nine years, the late Mark Linkous produced a body of work that made any announcement of posthumous Sparklehorse material a cause for trepidation. Some of those initial fears were allayed when it was revealed that Linkous’s little brother Matt and sister-in-law Melissa Moore-Linkous — confidants who were valued friends and fans alike — would be bringing them to light.
Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Monday, 11 September 2023
Slowdive - Everything is Alive (Album Review)
With their impressive phoenix from the flames act on their self-titled album in 2017, Slowdive proved that they are still very much alive. Staggeringly, the shoegaze greats’ fifth record ‘Everything is Alive’ is better still. Dedicated to Rachel Goswell’s mother and Simon Scott’s father – both of whom were lost during that annus horribilis of 2020 – these songs are rich and, fittingly, heavenly.
Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Friday, 08 September 2023
Empire State Bastard - Rivers of Heresy (Album Review)
Do you ever listen to Biffy Clyro and wish they made weird, arthouse grindcore instead? If so, here’s some great news — that's Empire State Bastard. Formed by Biffy mainman Simon Neil and Oceansize's Mike Vennart, who has been their touring guitarist for years, the band makes good on a dream they fostered by sharing the oddest, nastiest music they could find with each other while on the road.
Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Jeff Rosenstock - Hellmode (Album Review)
There aren’t many musicians out there like Jeff Rosenstock. Returning with his fifth solo record 'Hellmode', he is now a major player in the alternative scene, boasting healthy streaming numbers and sold out tours, while still seemingly doing whatever the hell he pleases, prioritising a genuine punk ethos and an inexhaustible work ethic.
Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Ashnikko - Weedkiller (Album Review)
Photo: Vasso Vu Ashnikko doesn’t do things by halves. After their breakthrough single Stupid and mixtape ‘Demidevil’ showcased an artist unafraid to marry the fantastical with alt-pop, rock and rap, the multifaceted musician slowly but surely put the finishing touches to their debut album ‘Weedkiller’, a sci-fi concept album that explores trauma, sexuality and more through their own unique pop lens.
Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Morgan Wade - Psychopath (Album Review)
Photo: Matthew Berinato Although some people are genuinely fearless, tackling everything in their path without flinching, can that really be classified as brave if they don’t experience apprehension beforehand? Surely real courage is when someone feels scared about the road ahead but still pushes forward? In which case, if it weren’t already synonymous with a former Nashville darling, ‘Fearless’ would definitely be the perfect title for Morgan Wade’s bold and beautiful return.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 04 September 2023
Ratboys - The Window (Album Review)
Photo: Alexa Viscius ‘The Window’ is the latest full length from Chicago four piece Ratboys, and while it may provide a view of the world that surrounds them, it also acts as a portal into their innermost workings.
Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Thursday, 31 August 2023
Buck Meek - Haunted Mountain (Album Review)
Photo: Shervin Lainez Listening to Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek’s solo work is like exploring Marvel’s cinematic universe — it offers the chance to spend more time with characters you love, while exploring worlds that feel fresh and reassuringly familiar all at once.
Written by: Jack Press | Date: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
The Armed - Perfect Saviors (Album Review)
If you’re unfamiliar with The Armed, go read about some of their reality-smashing pranks. From sending journalists on bizarre wild goose chases to stealing Frank Turner’s vocals, the Detroit collective were once as much a postmodern art experiment as they were a band.
Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Tuesday, 29 August 2023
Hiss Golden Messenger - Jump For Joy (Album Review)
Photo: Graham Tolbert Over the past 20 years one consistent trait displayed by Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C Taylor has been his love of music, and his unwavering belief in its power to overcome. In the face of failures, periods of depression and the general toll that life can take he has been steadfast in his commitment to creativity, and the restorative effect it has on both him and his listeners. His latest release ‘Jump for Joy’ may well be the best example of the jubilant feeling that lurks deep within all of his work.
Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Friday, 25 August 2023
Hozier - Unreal Unearth (Album Review)
Photo: Barry McCall Make no mistake about it, this is going to be huge—one of those records that sticks around. Employing an army of outside writers and producers to help fashion its ruminative collection of eclectic and ambitious sonic paintings, Hozier’s third record, despite its tortured sentiments, is a hugely accessible offering. Yet, by surrendering creative control in order to push his sound forwards, it also represents a disappointing step into homogenous territory at the expense of its creator’s most bewitching traits.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 24 August 2023
Osees - Intercepted Message (Album Review)
Photo: Titouan Massé Disruption seems to have become the most common, if not the only real way, to enact radical change. Upsetting the status quo, upending beliefs and subverting expectations enacts a competitive edge; something California's Osees can attest to since their own campaign of disruption started in the late 1990s.
Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Tuesday, 22 August 2023
Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing To Us (Album Review)
On their aptly titled third record ‘Death Is Nothing To Us’, Fiddlehead’s Pat Flynn puts forward the idea that we should not let loss define the rest of our lives. The band’s material has always dealt with his personal experiences of grief, and it feels like now is the right time for the final revelatory instalment.
Written by: Jack McGill | Date: Monday, 21 August 2023
The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons (Album Review)
Photo: Ebru Yildiz It might clock in at only 31 minutes but it’s not all that easy to listen to the Hives’ latest bombardment of relentless punked-up rock ‘n’ roll glory from start to finish. As soon as the first riotous cut ends it’s almost impossible not to hit repeat. Same with the next track. And the next. And so on. But, their own cheeky braggadocio aside, that’s exactly what makes this hugely addictive return every bit the “soon to be award winning new album” the band have repeatedly claimed.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 17 August 2023
Noname - Sundial (Album Review)
Though Noname has built her short but acclaimed career on a compassionate and likeable brand of hip-hop, the Chicago native is no stranger to controversy. She’s feuded with J. Cole, has briefly retired and is currently taking heat for the content of Jay Electronica’s verse on her latest album ‘Sundial’.
Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Public Image Ltd - End Of World (Album Review)
Photo: Andres Poveda Photography Public Image Ltd. spin a defiant tale on their 11th studio album ‘End of World’ — their first missive since ‘What the World Needs Now…’ in 2015 — with John Lydon in typically pugilistic voice. Around him, the music remains feverish and fitfully interesting, but there is a dispiriting amount of attention-grabbing from the group’s fabled singer, who is in danger of being left behind.
Written by: Jack McGill | Date: Monday, 14 August 2023
Mammoth WVH - Mammoth II (Album Review)
Photo: Travis Shinn While chatting with US shock jock Howard Stern back in 2006, Eddie Van Halen wasn’t shy about bigging up his then teenage son. “Wait ‘til you hear this kid play bass, guitar and drums,” the late shred-legend said. “He can do anything I do on guitar. If I excel at the speed of sound, this kid excels at the speed of light.” More than 15 years later that declaration about Wolfgang Van Halen seems less like parental cheerleading than it does a reserved understatement.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Girl Ray - Prestige (Album Review)
Photo: Eerie Rose Girl Ray appear to be in a constant state of transition, moving from their charming indie debut ‘Earl Grey’ through the pop-R&B tones of their second release ‘Girl’ and on to ‘Prestige’, a third album that drags us to the dancefloor, embracing all things disco with catchy synth work and floaty vocals.
Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Nils Lofgren - Mountains (Album Review)
Photo: Carl Schultz Aged 72, and with and more than 50 years on the road alongside Neil Young in Crazy Horse and as a key member of Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band, Nils Lofgren has a reputation as one of the most prolific workhorses in classic rock.
Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Ten Tonnes - Dancing, Alone (Album Review)
Photo: Phoebe Fox Ethan Barnett isn’t the first musician to find creative fuel in splitting from a major label, and his excellent second album as Ten Tonnes suggests he won’t be the last. After parting ways with Warner Music, had the chance to reevaluate and reclaim a sense of agency. ‘Dancing, Alone’ maintains the charming indie of his self-titled debut while presenting a more mature and seasoned sound.
Written by: Jack McGill | Date: Thursday, 03 August 2023