Album Reviews

Album Review: Lophae – ‘Perfect Strangers’: thrilling, fine-tuned jazz with subtle powers.
There’s a playful irony in both the band and album names chosen by this new London jazz quartet led by guitarist/composer Greg Sanders. For a start this lush, intricately woven set of tunes played with finesse, vibrancy and uncanny sensitivity is anything but ‘lo-fi’. Perhaps the ‘Lophae’ just hints at Sanders’ move away from the …

EP Review: Joshu Shines On Intimate New EP ‘Way Back Home’
After a life-altering journey across the Atlantic Ocean, indie-folk artist Joshu is ready to share the fruits of his introspective voyage with the release of his third EP, Way Back Home. A beautiful and intimate collection of indie-folk tracks which are delicate, personal and reflective, the EP is a brilliant collection of heartfelt songwriting. The …

Album Review: Re-release of nineties underground band Sex Industrie’s album ‘Sex’ll Sell Anything’ reveals a thrilling gem
In a year when one of Sydney’s more iconic underground eighties band, The Crystal Set, is reforming with a series of gigs with fellow jingle jangle exponents Ups & Downs (see news piece here) as well as a series of headlining gigs later in the year, it is fitting that a rather obscure related band …

Album Review: Weathership – Splendid Beast
A tortured start, ‘Golden Age’ has a gilded, fragile guitar-led edge to it. It is dominated by singer J.P Riggall’s laid-back vocals and lyrics that say so much with so little—flowing sonic landscape rolls like a sea mist slowly developing into a raging storm of white-tipped cymbals and picked strings. This album is about vast, …

Album Review: The Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out; much anticipated debut lives up to the hype and makes early play for album of the year
“Who Let the Dogs Out”, the debut album from Lambrini Girls has landed, and it’s everything fans could have hoped for—ferocious, unapologetic, and full of life. The Brighton duo, comprised of Phoebe Lunny and Lily Macieira, has long been celebrated for their unfiltered approach to music and performance, and this record captures their spirit perfectly. …

Album Review: Glenn Bennie (Underground Lovers) unveils luminescent instrumental album ‘Juno Low’ ahead of launch gig.
The new year sets of off with a veritable sparkle as Glenn Bennie, understated and undisputed genius guitar player for Underground Lovers and GB3, releases an album of luminescent instrumentals collected over the last four years. It’s a collection inspired by his love for a mixture of ambience and krautrock, elements that can always be …

Album Review: Beretta & Sullivan to release debut LP, The Loft Recordings ahead of trip to the International Blues Challenge in USA.
Australia continues to carve out a rich tradition of excellent blues musicians and artists, a history which stretches back into the 1950’s and continues to this very day, and is seemingly going from strength to strength. To that end, winners of the solo/duo section of the 2024 Sydney Blues Challenge, Nathan Beretta and Dan Sullivan …