Embrace - How to Be a Person Like Other People (Album Review)

Although a more consistent and sure-footed effort than 2018’s ‘Love Is A Basic Need’, Embrace’s eighth album is still plagued by some of the same issues that rendered its predecessor plodding and predictable. Nevertheless, thanks to stronger songwriting, a re-energised band and vocalist Danny McNamara giving the performance of his lifetime, such failings are less of a bugbear on this mostly splendid effort.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 07 September 2022

Yungblud - Yungblud (Album Review)

Arriving at his third album, Yungblud is in an interesting spot. To his fans, who sent album two ‘Weird’ to the top of the UK charts, he is a relatable emblem of rebellion and freedom. Outside of that passionate group, though, he’s a sometimes confusing jumble of influences: scene kid eyeliner, ‘77 punk iconography, a lip-curling sneer over 1975-style pop.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 07 September 2022

Ezra Furman - All of Us Flames (Album Review)

Photo: Tonje Thilesen Ezra Furman has long been capable of encapsulating deep feeling and emotional weight for an audience. On her latest album ‘All of Us Flames’ she takes her search for community and makes it tangible for listeners.

Written by: Rebecca Llewellyn | Date: Monday, 05 September 2022

Julia Jacklin - Pre Pleasure (Album Review)

The cover of ‘Pre Pleasure’ depicts Julia Jacklin inspecting a blown up image of her face. The colourful photograph not-so-subtly mirrors the album’s tone, which is similarly bright and introspective.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Friday, 02 September 2022

Stella Donnelly - Flood (Album Review)

Stella Donnelly took time out to travel in the lead up to her new album ‘Flood’. The Australian indie artist had developed a significant following with her blunt lyrical style, which saw her take on societal issues and find humour in rallying against those who would patronise her on her debut LP ‘Beware of the Dogs’.

Written by: Matty Pywell | Date: Thursday, 01 September 2022

Machine Head - Øf Kingdøm And Crøwn (Album Review)

Machine Head’s career trajectory since they released the modern metal classic ‘The Blackening’ in 2007 has been something of a head-scratcher. In 2011 and 2014 they released the solid ‘Unto The Locust’ and ‘Bloodstone and Diamonds’ respectively, but 2018’s ‘Catharsis’ is widely regarded as a career low-point for the band. Fortunately, ‘Øf Kingdøm And Crøwn’ is a return to form. 

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Wednesday, 31 August 2022

Muse - Will of the People (Album Review)

‘Will of the People’ is Muse’s ninth studio album and represents a furious, quizzical artistic agenda that recalls some of their most streamed and commercially successful work. To listen to it is to immerse yourself in a cross-section of their sound where hard rock riffs underscore classical synths, glam rock stomps and histrionic hyperbole. If you’re wedded to their original turn-of-the-century music, it’s probably not for you, but for any other iteration of Muse fan, this should be a crowd pleaser.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Tuesday, 30 August 2022

Aitch - Close to Home (Album Review)

Photo: Imran Ciesay Manchester rapper and current Lynx deodorant brand ambassador Aitch first burst on the scene during 2018-19, when his ‘On Your Marks’ EP gathered giant airplay and plaudits from UK hip hop glitterati. ‘Close to Home’ is the 22-year-old’s first full album.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Friday, 26 August 2022

The Mountain Goats - Bleed Out (Album Review)

Photo: Spence Kelly John Darnielle always has an angle. Now with three novels to his name, the Mountain Goats’ leader has proven himself every bit as capable as a writer of fiction as he is of songs—he has always had an eye for a good story.

Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Friday, 26 August 2022

Hot Chip - Freakout/Release (Album Review)

Photo: Pooneh Ghana The last time we heard from Hot Chip they’d donned tie dye and embarked upon psychedelic experimentation with ‘A Bath Full of Ecstasy’. An album filled with cathartic joy and dreamlike melodies, it was testament to the dance group’s ability to easily find new ground.

Written by: Matty Pywell | Date: Thursday, 25 August 2022

The Chats - Get Fucked (Album Review)

Photo: Luke Henery The second album from Aussie punks The Chats brings to mind speeding down a dirt track in a wagon with rickety wheels that could fall off at any moment. It’s a frenetic experience that barrels along at breakneck speed, and there’s absolutely nothing smooth about it in sound or sentiment.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Thursday, 25 August 2022

Spielbergs - Vestli (Album Review)

Photo: Johan Malvik Spielbergs’ cataclysmic debut ‘This Is Not The End’ was crammed to the rafters with nostalgic teenage angst delivered by men comfortably in their 30s. It was a record that celebrated the youthful pursuit of something better, something bigger, whatever that might be. 

Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Wednesday, 24 August 2022

Demi Lovato - Holy Fvck (Album Review)

Photo: Brandon Bowen “I know the girl that you adored, she's dead,” Demi Lovato sings on Eat Me. “It's time to fucking mourn.” The fourth track on her new album ‘Holy Fvck’ is a clear statement of intent from the former X Factor USA judge, who made it clear in the run-up to its release that it’s a return to her “rock roots.”

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 24 August 2022

Osees - A Foul Form (Album Review)

Osees’ 26th (yes, 26th) studio album finds the American psych-scuzz rockers in pretty bad shape. Core member and guitar-druid-in-chief John Dwyer is angrier than ever, and a feeling of doom pervades the record’s 10 tracks. It is a typically beguiling, innovative and exhilarating ride, but not necessarily one that breaks new ground for the Los Angeles-based band.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Tuesday, 23 August 2022

Kiwi Jr. - Chopper (Album Review)

Photo: Laura-Lynn Petrick Kiwi Jr.’s third album ‘Chopper’ offers a change of pace from the Canadian indie-pop band. In contrast to their 2020 debut ‘Football Money’, there’s less reliance on Byrdsian jangly guitars and slacker-rock poses. The overriding feeling is, appropriately for this time of year, a summery vibe.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Monday, 22 August 2022

Cass McCombs - Heartmind (Album Review)

With his latest release ‘Heartmind’, Cass McCombs is now 10 albums into a career that started in the late ‘90s. Quietly weathering the storms faced by any career musician, he has amassed a passionate fan base and rewarded them time and time again with work that cements his status as one of America's finest and most consistent songwriters.

Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Friday, 19 August 2022

Danger Mouse and Black Thought - Cheat Codes (Album Review)

Photo: Shervin Lainez In hip hop, there’s a tendency for critics to value dense musical experimentation and lofty themes above all else. The most well-received rap albums of this year, such as those released by Kendrick Lamar and Billy Woods, are challenging, eclectic works, defined by grand ambitions and demanding ideas.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 17 August 2022

Goo Goo Dolls - Chaos In Bloom (Album Review)

Photo: Claire Marie Vogel John Rzeznik recently told Spin: “I don’t care about genres of music, I care about hooks.” From their formative punk days and mid-90s guitar driven rock to turn of the century mainstream anthemics and a recent brush with contemporary pop, when the Goo Goo Dolls imperious refrains strike the target, as they do with unswerving accuracy here, it’s hard to get bent out of shape about their stylistic evolution.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 16 August 2022

Pale Waves - Unwanted (Album Review)

Photo: Pip Manchester quartet Pale Waves’ third studio album ‘Unwanted’ is, on the surface, fuelled by the emo energy that vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie has become synonymous with. Heavily influenced by Avril Lavigne, The Cranberries and The 1975, the group have a handle on goth-pop theatrics, ‘90s grunge and pop-punk prowess, yet there is a deeper layer here. Beyond mirroring past hits, their emotive journey and connection to their fans is now truly exciting.

Written by: Rebecca Llewellyn | Date: Monday, 15 August 2022

Kasabian - The Alchemist's Euphoria (Album Review)

Photo: Neil Bedford What do you do when your lead singer leaves the band? Carry on with a new recruit? Dissolve altogether? Or carry on with a current band member stepping up to the mic in the mould of Genesis or, in a way, Joy Division and New Order.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Friday, 12 August 2022