Cats And Cats And Cats - Catsalogue (Album Review)

It would be unfair of me to pretend that I have always been greatly enamoured with Cats and Cats and Cats. One of those bands that never quite got to where they should have done, prone to crafting songs that meandered rather than made their point, it is enormously frustrating to see the band depart before making a record that fulfils their potential. However, the hackneyed idea of releasing a posthumous ‘best of’ collection proves to be a success with 'Catsalogue', providing a refreshing glimpse into some of the band’s finest moments.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 28 May 2012

Gaz Coombes - Here Come The Bombs (Album Review)

If this collection had a tagline, that tagline should read: “'I Should CoCo' this ain't.”

Written by: James Ball | Date: Friday, 25 May 2012

Simian Mobile Disco - Unpatterns (Album Review)

The boys behind Simian Mobile Disco have been very busy over the past five years, releasing what is now their third bonafide full length, as well as a compilation record and remix album on top. In between all of that, they're constantly hopping onto other peoples songs, trying to put their own spin to them. Basically, it's all manic in the monkey house as the Simian duo finally drop album number three onto our doorsteps, and it couldn't be less busy if it tried.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Thursday, 24 May 2012

John Mayer - Born And Raised (Album Review)

Following a three year musical hiatus, and with his wounds apparently healed, the "new, improved and enlightened" seven time Grammy winner John Mayer is back with 'Born and Raised' a rootsy, Memphis rejection of his foot-in-mouth past released today by Sony, that is pleasant enough, but doesn't demand repeat listening.

Written by: Helen Grant | Date: Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Tom Jones - Spirit In The Room (Album Review)

At the ripe age of 71, some may have expected Tom Jones to have opted for retirement from music like so many others do. Evidently, this is not his style – proven by his extensive discography that he seems resolute on adding to. Marking his 40th record release, ‘Spirit In The Room’ has a lot in common with its 2010’s acclaimed ‘Praise & Blame’, so it seems a fair assumption that this should share another similarity in terms of success.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 21 May 2012

Marilyn Manson - Born Villain (Album Review)

Marilyn Manson has a great reputation of shocking people with both his music and imagery, something that has divided the masses for many years. While on Interscope Records, quality often dipped from his ‘Antichrist Superstar’/’Holy Wood’ heyday, so much so that his debut post-Interscope is said to be his comeback. So, with this in mind there’s a lot of pressure resting on the shoulders of his new release ‘Born Villain’.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 21 May 2012

Delain - We Are Others (Album Review)

With numerous push-backs on their third album ‘We Are The Others’, resulting in it being held back over a year from its initial release date, it must be a relief for Dutch rockers Delain to finally see their work unveiled. With a picturesque cover and notable meaning to certain songs spoken of in interviews, you can pre-conceive much about this album being different. In a sense, it is, but there is much more to it than their previous efforts.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Friday, 18 May 2012

Slash - Apocalyptic Love (Album Review)

Fans of Slash’s self-titled effort will be accustomed to a sense of variety, one that saw everyone from Alice Cooper and Dave Grohl to Nicole Scherzinger and Fergie chip in to create everything from the more heartfelt love song to the down and dirty rock ‘n’ roll assaults. After the unsurprisingly stellar vocal offerings of Myles Kennedy on this release, and the role as vocalist on the touring schedule that followed, it was no surprise to hear that he would be taking on sole vocal duties on the self-titled’s successor ‘Apocalyptic Love’.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Friday, 18 May 2012

SHY & D.R.S - Before Too Long (Album Review)

Dubbed the next big thing in Hip Pop Rock by NME Magazine and The Proclaimers of Hip Hop by The Sun, after years of chasing pavements, SHY & D.R.S are poised to give birth to one of the coolest genre explosions ever; a gutsy, heart-felt, blood-boiling, soul-stirring collection of 13 tracks featuring unlikely collaborations that work.

Written by: Helen Grant | Date: Thursday, 17 May 2012

Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts (Album Review)

Like a swan's head craning awkwardly backwards revealing a gaping, bloody wound in it's neck, transformations don't come more dramatic than Norah Jones' new album, a captivating indie set produced and co-written by Danger Mouse.

Written by: Helen Grant | Date: Thursday, 17 May 2012

TrioVD - Maze (Album Review)

This album sets itself up so well. An avant-garde jazz metal fusion bonanza thing of an album like 'Maze' needs to go straight for the jugular and, in the mind boggling 'Brick', it does just that. With more than a slight twinge of Norwegian loony geniuses Shining, it turns up and flattens listeners before they have a chance to even think what it is that is actually going on. Sadly, 'Maze', whilst always threatening to do the same thing again, never quite manages to quite keep hold of the listeners it has flawed early on.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Pulled Apart By Horses - Wolf Hand (Single Review)

Pulled Apart By Horses emerged in late 2007, making a reputation for themselves as an exciting live act before releasing their self-titled debut in 2010. Two years down the line PABH are still injecting their unparalleled humour and energy into their shows and live recordings alike. 'Wolf Hand' is the follow-up single to 'V.E.N.O.M' off the band's second album, 'Tough Love'.

Written by: Steven James | Date: Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Mothlite - Dark Age (Album Review)

Daniel O’Sullivan, the man behind Mothlite, is nothing if not varied in his musical travails. His work with Ulver is notable for its dark ambience and, often breath-taking, sonic experimentation. 'Dark Age' meanwhile is more like a pop record trying desperately to claw its way out of an experimental electronic record. There are hooks galore here but O’Sullivan seems determined to hide them as well as he possibly can.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 11 May 2012

Hot Water Music - Exister (Album Review)

I wouldn’t have placed any bets against Hot Water Music reforming. I possibly would have placed bets against Hot Water Music releasing a comeback album that lived up to expectations. That would have been a stupid move. 'Exister' is pretty much everything you could have wanted the band’s comeback record to be.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 11 May 2012

Black Shape Of Nexus - Negative Black (Album Review)

How can one describe Black Shape of Nexus? Imagine you took an early Mastodon song, played it half the way through and then thought you’d stretch out the enjoyment a bit…so you stuck it on Cubase and made it about six times longer than it actually was. That is a little bit like what Black Shape of Nexus sound like. They have the same punishing reliance on horrifically overdriven distorted guitar; you know the sort, it makes you feel like someone has hit you several times in the gut with a hammer. Sludgy though this is however, where Black Shape of Nexus stands out from the crowd is with their drone influences.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 09 May 2012

Sennen - Lost Harmony (Album Review)

Considering their status as perennial outsiders, Sennen have been in the game for a while, pushing forth their trenchant brand of dreamy indie rock for a decade now. Based on their latest offering, I would imagine that any hopes of a breakthrough would only be clutched as firmly as straws. There is not a lot wrong with 'Lost Harmony' per se; rather, there is a not a lot full stop.

Written by: Jonny Rimmer | Date: Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Billy Vincent - She (Album Review)

Billy Vincent are clearly not a band to do things by halves. Despite its fairly ordinary folk rock/country aesthetics, 'She' is a rather overwhelming blast of heart over pretty much anything else. Billy Vincent want to be believed and, to give them their dues, much of the time they do come across as pretty sincere.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Nate Hall - A Great River (Album Review)

It perhaps isn’t much of a surprise to see Nate Hall putting his name to a folk record. His work with the band US Christmas has always had undercurrents of traditional music underneath its layers of psychedelic contortion. Here those influences are taken by Hall and, although there are still elements of the sound for which he is already respected, this is mostly an alarmingly stripped back record.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 08 May 2012

Taproot - The Episodes (Album Review)

Most people who have heard of Taproot in this country will remember early hit 'Poem', that looped around various rock music TV channels with a huge rotation. But then again, everyone loved heavy rock and metal in 2002, and since then bands like Taproot have been quietly existing, releasing albums and going on tour to little or no fanfare. Will 'The Episodes' bring them back to the front or do they just go through the motions?

Written by: James Ball | Date: Monday, 07 May 2012

Orbital - Wonky (Album Review)

Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo consisting of rave brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Most known for their album, ‘The Middle of Nowhere’, released in 1999, which reached Number Four in the UK album chart. Orbital were around at the beginning of the acid house scene in the early 90’s, they helped to create the shape of electronic music to come in the next 20 years, however they have been disastrously left behind.

Written by: Marcus Colley | Date: Friday, 04 May 2012