pop albums
Album Review: Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
Aimee Mann has always had an interesting approach to making music. With a mix of guitar pop anthems and rousing acoustic ballads, her lyrical prowess and dry wit has always kept her on top of her game; probably the reason she is still going strong after nine albums and twenty-five years. And that’s merely her …
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: 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 …
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: Julian Cope – Drunken Songs
Few artists can claim to have ploughed such a rich and bizarre furrow as Julian Cope. From scouse-pop Smash Hits pin-up, calling at Scott walker acid casualty, via stone(d) circle antiquarian, Krautrock stoner rocker, and ending up as some kind of grizzled shamanic Norse god biker Jim Morrison. His various guises have oft confounded loyal …
Album Review: Molly Burch – ‘Please Be Mine’
Captured Tracks is proud to unveil this ten track album of gorgeous, whimsical, heartfelt and romantic songs of ‘loss, loneliness and reconnecting’. For fans of the Angel Olson and Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions sound. Molly Burch’s debut LP is the perfect soothing Vegas cocktail to dull a broken heart and accompany the dustbowl …
Not Forgotten: Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow
In less capable hands 50 Words for Snow could have been a disaster. A ‘seasonal’ album is not something that many artists can pull off, especially as the majority of albums around a ‘winter’ theme are also based around the theme of Christmas (trust me, the day that the The Jethro Tull Christmas Album was …
Album Review: Janet Devlin – Little Lights
X-Factor contestants are not generally known for long-lasting and credible careers. But every now and then one slips through the net. Rebecca Ferguson is still doing the business. Little Mix are topping charts all over the place, and of course One Direction took over the world. 2011 contestant Janet Devlin didn’t win the show. In …
Not Forgotten: They Might Be Giants – They Might Be Giants (a.k.a. Pink Album. a.k.a. First Album)
Released into a musical landscape over-populated by purveyors of synth-pop, stadium rock, post punk, underground alternative, heartland rockers, disposable pop and The Smiths (the band that pretty much defined what the mainstream thought indie / alternative music was in the mid 80s, at least here in the UK), the eponymous debut of They Might Be …
Album Review: Neon Hitch – Anarchy
Neon Hitch is a pop star for a new generation. Her big ballsy look and her love of the F word may give the more wholesome pop acts a heart attack, but her look and attitude certainly give her the edge in today’s market. It’s been a while in the making, after her debut single …