electronic albums
Album Review: John Grant – Grey Tickles, Black Pressure
For me, like many people, John Grant first appeared on my radar following the release of Queen of Denmark, his gloriously heartbreaking collaboration with Midlake and simply one of the most astonishing debut albums for many years. Of course, he’d previously been vocalist with the Czars during the 90s and early part of this century, …
Album Review: Zombi – Shape Shift
Listening to the heavy synth band Zombi is like zoning out to the opening credits of some imaginary sci fi or horror film. As you listen to the synth strings well up and overpower the mix, and the Neil Peart-like precision of the drums you can almost picture some imaginary scene of intense space flight. …
Album Review: Keep Shelly in Athens – Now I’m ready
Everything seemed to be rosy in Greek duo Keep Shelly in Mind’s world, at least from the outside following the release of their highly regarded debut album, 2012’s At Home. However, shortly afterwards, lead singer Shelly P left to persue a solo career, and the future of the band, given that they were 50% lighter …
Album Review: Chvrches – Every Open Eye
If I were to introduce you to my sister I’d probably say: “She hates loud noises, dark spaces, and people.” She’s not a fan of music and her opinions of the medium range from complete indifference to downright cynicism. It’s a surprise to anyone when she finds a band she likes – she’s only bought …
Album Review: Nohno – Longitude and Latitude
As a member of revered Sheffield experimentalists Clock DVA, Dean Dennis cut his electronic chops a long time ago. Seems that yearning to create hasn’t left him, and judging by his new, double album ‘Longitude and Latitude’ under his Nohno moniker, neither should he. Teaming up with his partner Jose Snook, who also acts as …
Album Review: Black-Paw Society – People Doesn’t Care/1955
The album ‘People Doesn’t Care/1955 ‘ may not be as creepily odd as the cover would have you think, but it most definitely has its quirks. More importantly, it is a highly accomplished work of modern pop – one, in fact, that makes you wonder how so many other artists get it wrong. For one …
Album Review: Battles – La Di Da Di
Listening to Battles is like plugging into the mainframe of some futuristic generator. You are instantly pulled into this stream-of-consciousness robot groove that acts as some sort of virtual yellow brick road to meet the fantastical Oz. But Oz isn’t some little man that flew in on a hot air balloon. No, Oz is this …
Album Review: Lloyd Cole – 1D electronics 2012-2014
The opportunity was there, no doubt, for Lloyd Cole to jump on the revival bandwagon. After all, the way he dropped literary references into his keenly observed tales of life and love were second only to a certain Stephen Morrissey at his height. However, his new record, 1D Electronics is, as the title suggests, a …
Album Review: Halsey – ‘Badlands’
It’s a rare thing to find an album that is a complete experience, where it’s emotions, themes and atmosphere jump right out of the audio and leave you with the knowledge that you’ve felt something as opposed to just hearing it. The debut album from Halsey is exactly that. There’s going to be artist comparisons …
Album Review: MG : MG
MG is actually Martin Gore. Martin Gore is actually that guy that pretty much makes Depeche Mode Depeche Mode. Songwriter, guitarist, keys, angelic backing vocals…that’s Martin Gore. MG is what he’s going by this time around on a new solo LP. This solo LP is all instrumental and filled with analog synth buzzes and whizzes. …