Album Reviews
Album Review – Froth ‘Duress’
Froth is a band from Los Angeles consisting of Joo-Joo Ashworth (guitar), Jeremy Katz (bass) and Cameron Allen (drums). Together, they’ve explored a range of sounds shoegaze, psychedelia and post-punk over several albums, a steady regimen of East LA house shows, downtown DIY gigs and support tours with alternative rock icons Interpol and Ride soon. After a …
Album Review: Pip Blom – Boat
Although sounding like a singular, Pip Blom are actually a band from Amsterdam, although slightly confusingly, they’re led by the aforementioned Pip Blom (singular again). Through an EP, Paycheck, and slowly becoming 6Music darlings, they’ve created interest and attention that has led to this debut album, Boat, out today (31st May) on ever brilliant Heavenly …
Album Review: Shonen Knife – Sweet Candy Power.
I’m always incredibly happy when I hear that Shonen Knife are releasing a new album. What’s not to be happy about? Since their formation in Osaka back in 1991, the trio – continually led by guitarist/vocalist Naoko Yamano – the trio have exuberant energy that fails to make me smile. A lot of other people feel …
Album Review: Richard Hawley – Further
Sheffield’s Richard Hawley is not only the King of Sheffield (anyone want to argue with that?), he is also the King of Consistency. That might sound like damning with faint praise but it’s not; it’s the greatest of compliments in a world of regular musical mediocrity. Hawley manages to put out albums of the …
Album Review: Sacred Paws – Run Around the Sun
Out on May 31st is Run Around the Sun, the second long playing installment from duo Sacred Paws, aka Rachel Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers. There were high hopes in this household following 2016’s Strike a Match, and the Paws (as absolutely no-one calls them) have come up with the effervescent goods. Yeah there’s something of the Honeyblood …
Album Review: Honeyblood – In Plain Sight
Stina Tweeddale goes solo and takes inspiration from her fears on Honeyblood’s epic third album In Plain Sight. We all have album releases that make us nervous – that make our hearts beat that little bit faster on first listen. They’re usually from an artist or band that you have high – maybe unreasonably – …
Album Review: Sinkane – Dépaysé
On their seventh album, having a sense of belonging as a London born Sudanese person living in America in the Trump era make up much of the albums focus and indeed much of the meaning behind its title. As the bands Ahmad Gallab says “At some point, I discovered the French word dépaysé, which basically means …
Album Review: Tall Tree 6Ft Man – Boundaries
It’s amazing what potluck it can be picking up a reviewing assignment. Sometimes it’s an artist you know, sometimes someone you’ve asked for or hunted down desperately over the years. Other times it’s a leap in the dark: you open the email, click on the soundcloud link, start listening and pick through the bio and …
Album Review: Gary Daly – Gone From Here
Gary Daly is one half of the duo (along with Eddie Lundon) behind Liverpool’s magnificent pop purveyors, China Crisis – an eighties phenomenon that continues to play today. Known for their social conscience and highly attuned pop sensibilities, China Crisis were never afraid to experiment or expand their musical horizons, working closely with the late …
Album Review: Song, By Toad -Split 12″ Series Vol. 7
We’ve already lamented the announcement last year that Edinburgh-based Song, By Toad Records was calling it a day. If this is its last release then it’s appropriate that its one of its signature split 12″s. (Although don’t be fooled, it’s a 12-song album.) The idea is simple and speaks to the heart of the label. …