Album Reviews
Album Review: Imelda May – Life. Love. Flesh. Blood.
New Year, New Imelda. Imelda May has kicked off her new year with a new album and a new look since the divorce from her husband of eighteen years. Gone is the almost caricature-Rockabilly look and sound of her top-three album, Tribal, and earlier releases that created a striking signature of the Dublin born singer. …
Album Review: The Pigeon Detectives – Broken Glances
The indie rock scene that took place about 10 years ago was headed, at least in Northern England, brought something fresh and in some cases, new. From Leeds, one of the bands that drew attention was The Pigeon Detectives, along with their go for the jugular indie rock sounds sounds and lyrics. Their release Wait …
Album review: Xiu Xiu – Forget
From the howled opening lyrics to ‘The Call’ it’s very clear that Xiu Xiu’s latest project is a giant step away from last year’s Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks. Forget takes the project back into original songwriting, yet keeps the haunting atmosphere that they created on their last record. From the leads singles ‘Wondering’, …
Album Review: MUNA – About U
When you’re first introduced to MUNA, you might feel intimated and a little out of depth, but that first impression will fall away the second you realise that these are the kinda girls who will fight with you, not against you. About U is the highly anticipated debut album from the trio, released 3rd February …
Say Psych: Album Review: Rancho Relaxo – Polarized EP
Rating: 8/10 Rancho Relaxo are one of Norway’s finest exports and will appeal to fans of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine. Founded in 2003, they remain elusive on the live scene, but this EP comes as their 8th release. Describing themselves as ‘twangy guitars, tambourines, sitar and shoegaze vibes mixed …
Say Psych: Album Review: The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Don’t Get Lost
Rating: 7/10 The Brian Jonestown Massacre are a main stay within psychedelic circles, and the release of Don’t Get Lost on 24th February 2017 comes a mere four months after Third World Pyramid. The double LP released on yellow vinyl was recorded and produced at Anton’s new Cobra Studio, Berlin and is the 16th full …
Album Review: Order of Voices – Constancy
Sheffield’s rock scene has always been one we are proud of as a city. The likes of While She Sleeps and Bring Me The Horizon have been the jewell in the crown in recent years, but the underground scene has continued to breed an abundance of bands with equal chances of making equally big waves. …
Album Review: Grandaddy – Last Place
In the early years of the last decade, I saw Grandaddy as one of a trio of bands that opened the doors to a style of music I still occasionally refer to as ’Cosmic Americana’. The other two acts were Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips, both of which had enjoyed crossover hit albums that …
Album Review: Randy Newman – The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 3
You know, sometimes it really is just down to the songs. On hearing Kate Bush lavish sounding Before the Dawn for the first time recently, I have to admit, I was impressed, especially given how much improved many of the songs were with Bush’s mature and more lived-in vocal. Something I did ponder on however …
Album Review: Forest Walker – UV Sea
Occasionally I’ll come across an album that stops the world around me when I listen to it. The music committed to that record holds a type of special magic that can’t really be explained or dissected, as any attempt pales in comparison to the art itself. What some hear as “noise”, I hear as the …