Album Reviews
Album review: Deniz Cuylan – ‘No Such Thing As Free Will’: a pastoral instrumental guitar gem
No Such Thing As Free Will is a much prettier and more enveloping record than words can convey; it has a really nice poise between the disciplines of the leftfield, the guitar soli and that of bright folk melody. In this regard if you’re a fan of early to mid-period James Blackshaw, but also very much the quartet of ‘free folk’ albums Stockholm’s Andreas Söderström released as ASS in the decade from 2006, you’ll find an awful lot to love. A bright, studious, harmonic, pastoral gem
Album Review: The Paper Kites’ ‘Roses’, featuring stunning collaborations with global female guest singers, is a delicate and beautiful album
The Australian folk/indie pop band The Paper Kites are musical icons and in ‘Roses’, their fifth album, they have crafted a breathtakingly beautiful album that has an indelible sheen and stature. This is a band that is simply getting better every release, and in this release the boundaries have been further extended by a coterie …
EP: The Great Emu War Casualties release the dynamic and shimmering indie pop EP ‘Vanity Project’
Australian-based and evocatively-named The Great Emu War Casualties (TGEWC) have released the EP ‘Vanity Project’ – a dynamic, fresh and dazzling collection of effervescent shimmering tracks. There is an indefinable sound to the band, but it is one grounded in a great musicianship and creative, innovative songwriting – an indie pop sensibility that has been …
Album: White Void – Anti
Norwegian occult hard rock band White Void, have released their debut album ‘Anti’ via Nuclear Blast records. A concept album based on Albert Camus’ Absurdism and inspired by 70s occult rock, 80s hard rock and British new wave. The band members come from pretty varied backgrounds, such as Norwegian black metal, chiptune electronica, pop music and blues. Mastermind of …
Mixtape: Digga D overcomes censorship with unapologetic ‘Made In The Pyrex’ mixtape
Dubbed as UK drill’s golden boy, and never far from controversy, Digga D’s rise to fame over the past 3-years-or-so has been nothing short of notorious. ‘Made In The Pyrex’ was absolutely needed to bookmark this period adequately. His ‘Next Up’ freestyle in 2017 stopped everyone in their tracks and the success of ‘Woi’ and ‘Chingy’ commercially …
Album: Enforced – Kill Grid
Richmond metal band Enforced have spent two years creating their album Kill Grid which will be their debut on their new label Century Media. Featuring a striking Joe Petagno (Motörhead, Vitriol) cover, this is an album that mashes various metal genres together but boils down to a heavy mosh pit inspiring collection of pure crossover death. The Doctrine thunderous …
Album Review: The Ghost of Helags unveil the shimmering and impressingly beautiful album ‘We Came From the Stars’
Here at Backseat Mafia HQ we have been following synth pop duo The Ghost of Helags for a while – covering a series of extraordinary beautiful dreamy singles and even capturing a live session of single ‘Chemistry’. The Berlin-based Swedish duo have collected all the singles together and added more tracks to release an exquisite …
EP: Sydney’s Silky Roads lets slip a smooth and ultra cool EP ‘Granada’
What’s on the label is certainly in the box – Sydney-based band Silky Roads has just released an EP entitled ‘Granada’ and it is one silky smooth piece of cool. The EP is louche and stylish – it’s all Fedoras, pencil moustaches, white linen suits and a whole bagful of attitude and some very slinky …
Say Psych: Album Review: Urdog – Long Shadows 2003-2006
Long Shadows is a retrospective of Urdog, the work of a mercurial band whose music may have been summoned from fog and ghosts yet possesses considerable staying power beyond their brief time on the planet. “We were influenced by the horror of late-capitalism in general every day” says drummer and vocalist Erin Rosenthal, who first …
EP REVIEW: Głós – ‘Swimming In Colors’: monumental ambience from Affin
Głós’ first EP for Affin is three whole different, astonishingly enveloping sound worlds. Let’s hope he records an album in this vein; it’d wipe the floor with your consciousness. Intelligent ambience with incredible design and edge, it’s one hell of an opening statement for an artist to make for his new home