Hot Chip - Why Make Sense? (Album Review)

Hot Chip are here to get specific. ‘Why Make Sense?’, the band’s sixth album, is one that dwells in the early hours, when bodies have begun to slow on the dancefloor. Its conglomeration of funk, sleepy electro-pop and soul is wistful and intoxicating.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 22 May 2015

Brandon Flowers - The Desired Effect (Album Review)

Exuberance is an oft-overlooked quality. Much of the time, we’re happy for our pop music to be served with lashings of introspection and superhero sequel darkness. Brandon Flowers, enjoying a second spell away from his day job as frontman of the Killers, has gone some way to redressing that imbalance on ‘The Desired Effect’, which is a celebratory rehashing of his influences.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 21 May 2015

Torres - Sprinter (Album Review)

It’s clear that Mackenzie Scott has evolved since her 2013 debut as Torres, but perhaps not enough. The tracks that make up ‘Sprinter’, her second album, are bigger, but they are not always better.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 21 May 2015

Whitesnake - The Purple Album (Album Review)

This effort from David Coverdale's mob may seem like a certainty for the 'most unnecessary album of the year’ award, but his decision to rework some Deep Purple classics has actually resulted in an enjoyable hard rock record that, although not perfect, is nowhere near the travesty it could have been.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2015

Du Blonde - Welcome Back To Milk (Album Review)

Beth Jeans Houghton, as you once knew her, has left the building. Du Blonde has crashed the party. If you’re expecting more of the sugary folk that made up ‘Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose’, then run. Run far, far away. Her debut under the Du Blonde name is so far removed from previous releases it renders comparison almost impossible.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Tove Lo - Queen Of The Clouds (Album Review)

It may seem like it’s been around for ages but with ‘Queen Of The Clouds’ finally hitting shelves in the UK, it’s time to send some more praise Tove Lo’s way. Her debut, which arrived in the US and Europe last autumn, is a devilishly catchy, frank, funny record and one that manages to balance some sweeping stylistic choices with a winning lack of lyrical pretension.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Faith No More - Sol Invictus (Album Review)

Gangnam Style, JLS and the disturbing phenomenon that was Crazy Frog have all been and gone since the release of the last Faith No More record, 1997's cheekily-titled 'Album Of The Year'. There have been intriguing developments across the metal and alternative spectrum, but there's also been a lot of shite. Into that landscape stride Faith No More, blowing away nearly 18 years' worth of cobwebs with ‘Sol Invictus’.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 18 May 2015

Joanna Gruesome - Peanut Butter (Album Review)

“Let’s settle for doing one thing well,” said the band, followed by nods of agreement. Across town, Joanna Gruesome made their own minds up: “Let’s do a bunch of things, mash them together, laugh about it and keep every song around the two minute mark.”

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 14 May 2015

The Tallest Man On Earth - Dark Bird Is Home (Album Review)

‘Dark Bird Is Home’ is an album on which individual pain is rendered universal. In documenting his divorce, Kristian Mattson has shone a light on a difficult time in the spirit of communication and shared experience.

Written by: Matt Williams | Date: Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Best Coast - California Nights (Album Review)

Generally, the idea is to mature as time goes on. ‘California Nights’ is the third album by Best Coast, the Golden State duo of Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno, and their first for a major. It’s a suitably bold step into the big leagues.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Metz - II (Album Review)

It’s tempting to see Metz as the Death Star and your eardrums as Admiral Ackbar’s cruiser. But, this ain’t a trap. From minute one of this noise-rock trio’s debut, their aims have been perilously clear. They play loud, hard and with scant regard for anything you might like to hear. Their second album, unsurprisingly, is a straightforward example of ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it belligerence.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Hop Along - Painted Shut (Album Review)

If we're truly honest, there aren't that many of us who learn from our mistakes, face up to our personal failings or try to understand the world through the lens of others. That Frances Quinlan has been on a mission to do that across two Hop Along records is what makes the band such a powerful proposition.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 08 May 2015

My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall (Album Review)

My Morning Jacket have never been afraid of starting over. Their style has always been fluid and subject to subtle shifts, reflecting the circumstances of Jim James’ writing process and his influences, which have not always been the most comfortable of bedfellows. ‘The Waterfall’ is another twist in the tale and a record that, from its first burbling keys onwards, is closely tied with its title.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 06 May 2015

Mumford & Sons - Wilder Mind (Album Review)

To many, the banjos were what made Mumford and Sons stand out among other guitar bands in the first place. But now that they’ve ditched their signature move, where does that leave them?

Written by: James Ball | Date: Tuesday, 05 May 2015

Braids - Deep In The Iris (Album Review)

There’s a theory that the best records are created on the edge of a precipice, that tension, friction, loss or heartache are indispensable ingredients. ‘Deep In The Iris’, Braids’ third album, emerges following a period of deliberate, organised calm. The Montreal trio, keen to reassemble friendships and avoid the stress encountered while putting together the complex, electronics-dominated ‘Flourish // Perish’, decamped to remote locations in Arizona, Vermont, and upstate New York with songs on their mind.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 01 May 2015

Blur - The Magic Whip (Album Review)

Photo: Linda Brownlee Blur’s first album for 12 years...12 long years. It’s a hell of a time for any fan of any band to wait, but there were few, post-’Think Tank’, with enough optimism on tap to think that this day would ever arrive.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Passion Pit - Kindred (Album Review)

Michael Angelakos and Passion Pit have always existed at a certain remove from one another. His music operates on a visceral level, combining teeth-rotting hooks with production that, in his own words, tends towards the maximalist. Lyrically, though, he has maintained a confessional tone. Never has that been more apparent than on ‘Kindred’.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer (Album Review)

‘Foil Deer’ is the sophomore LP from Massachusetts quartet Speedy Ortiz and finds the band embracing a few changes. The follow up to ‘Major Arcana’  and last year’s ‘Real Hair’ EP arrives sans original guitarist Matt Robidoux. But, even with his integral contributions to the band’s sound in mind, the result is not lacking, in any way. If anything, Sadie Dupuis, now augmented by six stringer Devin McKnight, and friends have emerged stronger than ever.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Friday, 24 April 2015

FM - Heroes And Villains (Album Review)

If you're basking in glorious sunshine with a cold beer in your hand, what more could you possibly need? Music, of course, and this imperious melodic rock album will complete that picture. It practically has 'soundtrack to your summer' burnt into its DNA.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Tom DeLonge - To The Stars (Album Review)

Plenty of ink has been spilled over Tom DeLonge in the last few months. The vast majority of it concerned his he said-she said split from Blink-182, the pop-punk band that made him a star without tying down a restless mind. More recently, though, interest has grown in ‘To The Stars’, a collection of odds and ends given added weight as his first post-Blink musical statement.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 22 April 2015