The Kills - Ash & Ice (Album Review)

‘Ash & Ice’ represents the end of a long wait. It’s been half a decade since the Kills released ‘Blood Pressures’, with album five drawing a line under a period in which Jamie Hince underwent six surgeries on his injured hand, forcing him to learn how to play guitar all over again, and Alison Mosshart moved to Nashville while finding time to put out a third record with the Dead Weather.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 07 June 2016

Ladyhawke - Wild Things (Album Review)

Pip Brown likes to take her time. “I’ve never released anything I’m not proud of,” she said prior to the arrival of ‘Wild Things’, the third Ladyhawke album to emerge since the release of her eponymous debut in 2008.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Monday, 06 June 2016

PUP - The Dream Is Over (Album Review)

Well, I guess this is growing up.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 03 June 2016

No Sinner - Old Habits Die Hard (Album Review)

Considering No Sinner’s Colleen Rennison is a former child actor, it’s natural to wonder whether she’s inhabiting a role when behind the microphone.  ‘Boo Hoo Hoo’, the band’s promising debut, certainly showcased her considerable skills as a vocalist, but ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ comes on like a double-barrelled blast of commitment to music, its electrifying rock ‘n’ soul proof that this leading lady means business.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 02 June 2016

Summer Cannibals - Full Of It (Album Review)

On ‘Full of It’, Summer Cannibals’ third full length, the Portland natives have smoothed out a few rough edges in order to lend even greater punch to their rollicking punk ‘n’ roll, documenting the rise and fall of a relationship in short, sharp bursts of noise.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 02 June 2016

Catfish And The Bottlemen - The Ride (Album Review)

Some 18 months on from the release of their successful, if unspectacular, debut album, ‘The Balcony’, Catfish and the Bottlemen are back. Its follow-up, ‘The Ride’, arrives after the summer of 2015 found the band becoming festival mainstays, with little doubt remaining about their prowess in the live arena. 

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go 20 (Album Review)

Has it really been two decades since the Manic Street Preachers gatecrashed the back-slapping Britpop party armed with ‘Everything Must Go’? The album, a bombastic and emotionally-charged collection of intelligent anthems, has been reissued to coincide with the landmark, but how does it measure up when removed from both the era of its initial release and the tragic circumstances surrounding its conception?

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book (Album Review)

In terms of mood, Chance the Rapper kicks off his new mixtape, ‘Coloring Book’, by immediately picking up where he left off  on his breakout project, ‘Acid Rap’. After rounding that outing off with the triumphant Everything’s Good, Chance returns here with the same sincere enthusiasm.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Mutual Benefit - Skip A Sinking Stone (Album Review)

‘Skip A Sinking Stone’ is an album about a man in transition. The man is Jordan Lee and the change centres around the fallout from the release of ‘Love’s Crushing Diamond’ and his subsequent move to New York City.

Written by: Ben Gallivan | Date: Friday, 27 May 2016

James Blake - The Colour In Anything (Album Review)

You sense Roald Dahl would have wrung decent mileage out of a man with a radio in his chest; one who might tune easily to the frequencies of some, but be eluded by those he most covets. James Blake plays with the idea very briefly on Radio Silence, the first song on ‘The Colour In Anything’, but the dark whimsy of the image lasts only moments and is quickly replaced by something all too real as he admits: “I don’t know how you feel.”

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Richard Ashcroft - These People (Album Review)

In a recent NME interview, Richard Ashcroft described ‘These People’ is a blend of old and new, with the resulting brew representing “something you’ve never heard before”. It’s a wonder, then, that his latest solo outing not only sounds achingly familiar, but painfully outdated, too.

Written by: Liam Turner | Date: Monday, 23 May 2016

Modern Baseball - Holy Ghost (Album Review)

Last year was a difficult one for the frontmen of Modern Baseball. Jake Ewald suffered the loss of his grandfather, while Brendan Lukens dealt with depression. Both struggled with life on the road in band on the rise. ‘Holy Ghost’ sees them exploring these issues in typically honest style.

Written by: Jennifer Geddes | Date: Friday, 20 May 2016

Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial (Album Review)

‘Teens of Style’, the first Matador release from prolific DIY songwriter Will Toledo, was a superb trip through his ‘90s slacker pop-indebted beginnings, and just about everything else he had previously been influenced by. Comparisons to Pavement were common, but evidence of his genius was liberally scattered throughout the compilation.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Thursday, 19 May 2016

Skepta - Konnichiwa (Album Review)

Grime’s mainstream rise in recent years has been unexpected but deserved. In its early days it was chiefly popular among urban youth, much like hip hop was in New York a few decades ago. Reflecting London’s street violence, the music was inevitably condemned by culturally ignorant politicians who attacked radio stations for playing it. You know, the same old story.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Oscar - Cut and Paste (Album Review)

The main problem in trying to find out anything about Oscar is the fact that he goes by that single moniker, a la Rihanna, Adele and Beyoncé. Unlike those artists, though, he shares his name with a number of Google-rich characters and, of course, a massive awards ceremony.

Written by: Ben Gallivan | Date: Wednesday, 18 May 2016

DevilDriver - Trust No One (Album Review)

DevilDriver are to metal what meat and potatoes are to the culinary experience: they’re always there. They’re reliable. But, on occasion, they evolve. They become Steak Maman Blanc with sautéed potatoes.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Drake - Views (Album Review)

Drake’s direction of travel in recent years has been surprisingly steady. Not only has he shown progression as a songwriter, he’s carved a niche for himself in a music industry that is historically volatile when faced with the notion of rappers being anything other than red-blooded thugs.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Dan Patlansky - Introvertigo (Album Review)

Do you feel Joe Bonamassa’s lost the common touch? Do you wish Gark Clark Jr would stick to the blues? Do you hate whatever it is that John Mayer does? Then open your arms and embrace blues-rock superstar-in-the-making Dan Patlansky. For anyone craving a contemporary six-string icon who excels as a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Dan is most definitely your man.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 16 May 2016

Jessy Lanza - Oh No (Album Review)

Photo: Alex Welsh Producing pastel-hued electronic mindscapes complete with jarring synths, Ontario artist Jessy Lanza moves through elegant audiovisual atmospheres.

Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Friday, 13 May 2016

Goo Goo Dolls - Boxes (Album Review)

They may have started out as snotty punks enthralled by the Replacements, but over the last two decades the Goo Goo Dolls have morphed into a slick, radio-friendly modern rock act with a penchant for emotionally stirring anthems. ‘Boxes’, their 11th studio album, unfortunately takes that process of sonic softening too far, embracing a pop sound in a way that suggests they are having a musical mid-life crisis.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 12 May 2016