Album Reviews
Album Review : The Clientele’s ‘Music for the Age of Miracles’
Before listening to the new Clientele album titled Music for the Age of Miracles I wasn’t all that familiar with the London band. I imagined some dark, brooding group with pale skin and weathered suits playing music that was somewhere between Bauhaus and This Mortal Coil. Maybe there were goblets of blood and incantations involved, …
Album Review : The War on Drugs’ ‘A Deeper Understanding’
I don’t think a songwriter has excited me more about the future of music in the last few years more than The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel. It’s ironic, too, given that his music feels more like looking back into the past than forward into some unknown future. I guess I’ve been known to wallow …
Album Review : LCD Soundsystem’s ‘American Dream’
There’s always been something about James Murphy that I’ve been drawn to. Ever since I bought LCD Soundsystem’s Sound Of Silver on a whim back in 2007 I’ve been enamored with the guy. Maybe because he’s close to my age. Maybe because he’s a middle-aged guy acting like a middle-aged guy. He’s not posturing the dude-isms …
Album Review : Metz’ ‘Strange Peace’
I will admit that I have a bit of a dude crush on the Canadian rock band METZ. There’s just something about their intense brand of noise rock/post-punk gumbo that gets me in the gut. It’s a kind of rush that comes with a special sort of experience. Maybe like jumping out of a plane, …
Album Review : Wand’s ‘Plum’
Going into Wand’s Plum I was expecting a bit of the usual Ty Segall-inspired garage noise, much like what was on the three previous records(Ganglion Reef, Golem, 1000 Days.) Playing with both Segall and Mikal Cronin, Hanson does have a little of both hard-wired into his musical DNA. While there are moments where the weirdness …
Album Review: Randy Newman – Dark Matter
Back in 2004 Green Day released American Idiot, an album on which they took the American government of the time to task for the less than wise decisions that were being made. Wind forward thirteen years, and frankly we need something a little more substantial than a pop-punk power trio to take the current American …
Album Review: Reverend and the Makers – The Death Of A King
Sheffield’s very own Reverend and the Makers have just returned with their sixth release, and follow up to 2015’s critically acclaimed album – Mirrors – with possibly their most impressive – and expansive – outing so far. ‘The Death Of A King’ was released on 22nd September via Cooking Vinyl and it certainly grabs the …
Album Review: Twin Peaks (Music From The Limited Event Series)
When I was a teenager I was obsessed with the Twin Peaks TV series. Who killed Laura Palmer was the question that was on everyone’s lips. Who was the mysterious Bob, The Giant and The One Armed Man? Back then I professed to know what was going on and that I understood every last scene. But …
Album Review: Deer Tick – Volume 1 and Volume 2
Acclaimed roots-rock-americana-country-folk-acoustic-boundary-breakers Deer Tick have released their first new material in four years via Partisan Records. The good news for fans is that they have released not just one, but two new records. This is not a double album either, these are two separate collections of original material (Volume 1 and Volume 2), both recorded …
Album Review: Sparks – Hippopotamus
When Sparks roared back to relevance with 2002‘s Lil’ Beethoven, it was treated as a glorious return to form. How long that form would last was another matter. Was it a one off, or the start of a more sustained period of creative success? 2006’s Hello Young Lovers very much confirmed that the previous album’s …