Walter Trout - Alive In Amsterdam (Album Review)

“This is a song with a message,” cries Walter Trout as he steams into a pulsating rendition of Luther Allison’s I’m Back during this electrifying, and fittingly titled, live record. The subtext isn’t complicated, it merely signifies what the Dutch crowd, and all those who attended his 2015 comeback concerts, witnessed first hand: Trout’s resurrection from seemingly doomed rock ‘n’ roll casualty to roaring, blues-rock powerhouse is complete.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 28 June 2016

Swans - The Glowing Man (Album Review)

Swans have never shied away from the fact that their songs are punishing. Many of them last as long as your average punk LP, and very few offer straightforward sonic hits. But tedious and tiresome they are not. Investing in Swans’ music requires patience, but the process is rewarding.

Written by: Liam Turner | Date: Monday, 27 June 2016

Weaves - Weaves (Album Review)

Two years ago, following the release of Weaves’ debut EP, Jasmyn Burke told Rolling Stone: "We don't want to necessarily identify with a scene, and I think our music holds true to that. It's a bit out there, no matter what kind of music you like."

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Friday, 24 June 2016

Mitski - Puberty 2 (Album Review)

Photo: Ebru Yildiz On ‘Puberty 2’, Mitski spends much of her time wrestling with her significance in the grand scheme of things.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Thursday, 23 June 2016

Jake Bugg - On My One (Album Review)

'On My One', Jake Bugg’s third full-length release is, at least on the surface, aptly titled. For the first time the Nottingham native has eschewed contributions from outside songwriters and also produced much of the record solo, but the one thing that challenges this solitudinous sentiment is the scale of the thing: this is the biggest sounding Bugg album yet.

Written by: Liam Turner | Date: Wednesday, 22 June 2016

Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Getaway (Album Review)

Red Hot Chili Peppers rarely seem to live a dull moment. Lately, singer Anthony Kiedis has resuscitated a baby, wrestled with James Corden and found himself admitted to hospital with complications from intestinal flu. Bassist Flea, meanwhile, broke his arm while snowboarding and faced a long period of rehab. Amid all this we have ‘The Getaway’, their 11th album and the follow up to 2011’s ‘I’m With You’.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Tuesday, 21 June 2016

Band of Horses - Why Are You OK (Album Review)

Photo: Andrew Stuart It’s now a decade since Band of Horses’ debut, ‘Everything All The Time’, arrived to much acclaim. With every release since then, though, Ben Bridwell and his band have seemed to slip further and further away from the folky roots that initially drew their fans in.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Monday, 20 June 2016

Gojira - Magma (Album Review)

Every now and then, the more extreme corners of music produce something that transcends heavy metal; something that infiltrates the mainstream consciousness and makes people realise metal isn’t just denim, leather and unintelligible vocals. Deafheaven did it with ‘Sunbather’, Behemoth did it with ‘The Satanist’ and now it’s Gojira’s turn.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 20 June 2016

Spring King - Tell Me If You Like To (Album Review)

Spring King began as the solo project of drummer and vocalist Tarek Musa around four years ago, but they have since evolved into a nearly unstoppable force as a full band. On their debut album, ‘Tell Me If You Like To’, they plot a course through their short history by repurposing several songs from their ‘Demons’ and ‘They’re Coming After You’ EPs amid new cuts that will fit nicely into their head-turning live sets.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 16 June 2016

Garbage - Strange Little Birds (Album Review)

Fresh from revisiting their self-titled debut on their 20 Years Queer tour, Garbage have returned with their sixth studio record, ‘Strange Little Birds’.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Thursday, 16 June 2016

Rival Sons - Hollow Bones (Album Review)

Let’s start with a bold assertion: cloning human beings is now a reality. It must be. There’s simply no other way to explain how Rival Sons – who’ve been touring solidly for the last two years – found the time and energy to make ‘Hollow Bones’. Sure, they could have bashed out a fatigued stop-gap release in-between gigs, but to have crafted yet another fully realised gem at lightning speed? It can only be the work of scientifically manufactured doppelgangers.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Peter Bjorn and John - Breakin' Point (Album Review)

It was always going to be tough for Messrs Morén, Yttling and Eriksson to come up with anything as relentlessly cheery and catchy as Young Folks.

Written by: Ben Gallivan | Date: Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Yung - A Youthful Dream (Album Review)

In a way, Yung’s biggest strength is also a weakness. The band are the embodiment of youthful exuberance, racing between ideas and themes at a rate of knots.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Letlive. - If I'm The Devil... (Album Review)

Imagine starting your career by being compared to Refused, Glassjaw and At The Drive-In. That’s like your driving instructor grabbing your shoulder, looking you straight in the eye and calling you Lewis Hamilton.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 13 June 2016

Alexis Taylor - Piano (Album Review)

Some may be surprised to discover that this is Alexis Taylor’s third solo outing away from the bright lights and big stages that he has grown accustomed to as lead vocalist of Hot Chip.

Written by: Ben Gallivan | Date: Monday, 13 June 2016

Tegan And Sara - Love You To Death (Album Review)

In an interview with John Doran prior to the release of Pet Shop Boys' 'Super' earlier this year, Neil Tennant described his bandmate Chris Lowe as having one interest: euphoria. Musically, that could mean a lot of things. You might find it on a dancefloor, or while disappearing into the wounded heart of a ballad. Perhaps it’s to be found as you hurtle into the pit or as a landscape rushes past your window, headphones clamped tight.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 10 June 2016

Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts (Album Review)

It’s worthwhile to be sceptical when an artist describes a new project as their most progressive yet. It’s a satisfyingly vague term designed to imply development and reassure listeners, and indeed the artists themselves. When guitarist Anders Nyström dropped the P word in relation to Katatonia’s ‘The Fall of Hearts’, though, it made sense.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Thursday, 09 June 2016

Whitney - Light Upon the Lake (Album Review)

On the face of it, Whitney’s debut LP, ‘Light Upon the Lake’, could be a pleasant offering from any one of a number of new bands making their first forays into the saturated world of indie-folk. What gives this duo the edge is their musical ancestry: Max Kakacek previously played guitar for the now-disbanded Smith Westerns, while Julien Ehrlich – who assumes vocal responsibility on this record – was the drummer for Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Written by: Rachel England | Date: Thursday, 09 June 2016

The Hotelier - Goodness (Album Review)

Now that we have ‘Goodness’ in our hands, it feels right for ‘Home, Like Noplace Is There’ to be filed as a one-off. The Hotelier’s second album will remain important to many people, thanks to its sky-scraping hooks and the manner in which Christian Holden’s raw, unflinching writing navigated abuse, suicide and a sort of yawning hopelessness, but in following it up they have wisely flipped the coin to reveal a new approach.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 09 June 2016

Blake Shelton - If I'm Honest (Album Review)

Photo: Jack Guy From Johnny and June Carter Cash to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, the history of country music is full of couples who ruled the Nashville scene. Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert were the latest to assume those roles, until last year when their D-I-V-O-R-C-E rocked the genre. Inspired by those events and his latest love affair, Shelton has described ‘If I’m Honest’ as the most personal record of his career.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 08 June 2016