Album Reviews
Album Review : Justin Sweatt’s ‘Say Your Goodbyes’
Sometimes taking on an alias or persona can be a comforting thing, especially when you’re an artist. The moat and wall defense of a different name other than yours can give someone a sense of protection. It allows them to be more daring artistically and creatively than if they were standing before you, birth name …
Say Psych: Album Review: The Noise Figures – Telepath
It’s been two and a half years since The Noise Figures released Aphelion, and their absence has been noted. This week they are back with their third LP Telepath, released on Inner Ear Records. Inspired by the theory of spiritualism and influenced by personal experiences, Telepath is in essence a concept album with intense attention …
Album Review: Tracey Thorn – Record
So here’s what we already knew. Firstly, that Tracey Thorn is the queen of cool. In the nineties when her band Everything But The Girl started hanging out with the likes of Massive Attack, Deep Dish and got the remix treatment by Todd Terry, they developed their own brand of laid back electronic pop. Both …
Album Review : Steve Greene’s ‘Electronic Dreams for a Holographic Existence’
Steve Greene is the synth wizard in the progressive heavy synth rock band Voyag3r. Within Voyag3r Greene is one third of a power trio that mixes elements of John Carpenter scores, Goblin, Zombi, and even hints of progressive rock from the 70s. They world build on releases like Doom Fortress and Are You Synthetic. Within …
Album Review : Trummor & Orgel’s ‘Indivisibility’
A drum and organ duo? It’s hard to imagine how just drums and organ could be an engaging duo on their own, but Trummor & Orgel will absolutely change your mind if you have any doubt. The Swedish duo have played with artists like Ebbot Lundberg (The Soundtrack of Our Lives), Magnus Carlsson (Weeping Willows), Peter …
Album Review : J Jazz – Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969-1984
Some would argue that the late 50s and early 60s were the most essential time period in jazz. Not in terms of foundation making, but in terms of propelling the music to a whole new level. Davis, Coltrane, Monk, Coleman, Hill, Silver, and so many others pushed jazz from late night grooves and fiery improvisations …
Album Review: Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone
The funny thing about Andrew W.K.‘s music is that it seems to operate completely independently of your volume control. It’s loud. It’s so loud that after each song, the mind is completely eviscerated – the feeling you get when you hang your head out of the window of a speeding car. There’s no greater feeling …
Album Review: Gengahr – Where Wildness Grows
After planting the seeds of greatness with their debut, Gengahr show just how much they’ve bloomed with second album ‘Where Wildness Grows’. Gengahr didn’t have a label or management when they began recording their beguiling debut ‘A Dream Outside’. The North London four-piece – Felix Bushe (vocals/guitar), John Victor (guitar), Danny Ward (drums) and Hugh …
Say Psych: Album Review: Suuns – Felt
Suuns (pronounced soons, which translates as zeroes in Thai!) release their latest album, Felt, today on Secretly Canadian. They formed in Montreal in 2007, when singer/guitarist Ben Shemie and guitarist Joe Yarmush got together to work on some demos, soon to be joined by Liam, Ben’s old schoolfriend, on drums and Max Henry on synth. Their …
Not Forgotten: Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses
Where to begin? The beginning I guess. My beginning. Or at least as far back as I can remember. You might be surprised to find out that I didn’t get into music until my early teens. Throughout my childhood, my parents, particularly my dad, were always playing albums, but none of them permeated into my …