Album Review: Ellie Bleach’s ‘No Elegant Way to Sell Out’ is a masterclass in the tragically funny.
‘Tragically funny’ is a phrase I think a lot of other writers will apply carelessly to Ellie Bleach’s new album: No Elegant Way to Sell Out. I am one of them, but to only take that from this album would be to boil it down to a one-note act, rather than the all encompassing showstopper …
EP Review: Tenderhost’s slick, cinematic, and impressive debut ‘The Tin’.
Tenderhost is a new six-piece jazz-rock band, formed under the leadership of Gabriel Levy who had previously gained prominence as the lead in the now-defunct: Sistertalk. Back in 2019, the disbandment of Levy’s previous venture had been somewhat of a shock, considering their apparent talent and potential. But promises were made of a new project …
EP Review: Nudista’s glistening, passive and soothing debut ‘Halfway Here’.
Nudista are a band that are defined by their gentle charm, leaning towards the more sensitive end of the indie-rock spectrum. This new release focuses on the efforts of joint-leads: Pilar Matji Cabello and Robbie Carman, who have used the song writing of ‘Halfway Here’ as a way to express and navigate anxiety in anxious …
EP Review: Lilo’s ‘Sleep Country’ teaches the true meaning of bittersweet.
New from Practise Music comes the full length EP by duo Lilo, entitled ‘Sleep Country’. The record is a collaboration between BFFs Christie Gardner and Helen Dixon, and partly comprises the best of their singles released piece-by-piece throughout the previous year. There’s a certain understated power and weight to the songs Lilo has produced for …
Tallinn Black Nights Review: Alice, Through The Looking
As all intellectuals are inclined to do, I would start this piece with some sort of relevant academic quote. Preferably from a writer, philosopher or cultural studies expert who you may know the name of, but are all together unsure of their merits or ideas. If I was to do this however, I would be …
Ellie Bleach’s ode to emotional burnout: ‘Doing Really Well Thanks’ proves she is actually doing really well
Ellie Bleach is an artist who is known for being pretty direct with her songs. You often feel like, as a listener, you are being let in on a personal matter of distress that is either romantic, existential or both. The London-based musician is treading familiar ground in that sense, but with ‘Doing Really Well …
Track: London DIY-Indie band Buggs release new glittering single – ‘Flaws’
From London-based four piece Buggs, comes their newest single: “Flaws.” Chief among a fresh wave of lockdown-inspired music, the song tries to capture the nightmare of overthinking when in isolation. Produced, recorded and mixed by the band members themselves, it’s a true to life DIY piece that balances the heaviness of its themes with the …
Album Review: Chubby and the Gang’s ‘The Mutt’s Nuts’ is the dog’s……
It is an unfortunate fact that the kind of music that Chubby and the Gang makes has never been ‘major label’ fodder, at least not in recent times. This is true for the band members themselves, who had previously cut their teeth as part of the London hardcore scene. Take the lead for example: Charlie, …
Album Review: John Myrtle’s debut ‘Myrtle Soup’ brings the sunshine even when it rains.
In the week that John Myrtle’s debut album Myrtle Soup has released, the weather has shifted from blistering sun to pouring rain. There are drops tapping on my window as I hear Myrtle’s soft voice, promising me better days in his glittering ‘Ballad of the Rain’. After playing it a few more times, I can …
EP REVIEW: Kero Kero Bonito – Civilisation II – helping lift the weight of isolation off everyone’s minds
From the poster child and early adopters of what has come to be known as hyperpop, comes the second EP in Kero Kero Bonito’s Civilisation series. For a few years now, following the cult sensation of albums like Bonito Generation and Time ‘n’ Place, there has been a very vocal effort from the band to …