Album Reviews
Album Review: The Orange Revival – ‘Futurecent’
Anyone with enough nous, to come up with a transcendental record title as good as ‘Futurecent’, is guaranteed to pique my attention. The Orange Revival have nous in abundance, as a listen to their sophomore LP will quickly attest. “Emerging from the depths of Sweden, the band The Orange Revival playing experimental rock n’ roll”, says …
Album Review: Lianne La Havas – Blood
Sometimes an initial listen to a new album can give you the wrong impression. When I heard Lianne La Havas’ sophomore effort in early August, it threw me slightly. Having appreciated her debut album as an enjoyable offering of pop-flecked neo-soul, I was fascinated to hear where she’d go next, but I was temporarily bamboozled …
Album Review: New Order – Music Complete
Deep breath. “Music Complete” is a FABULOUS album but it should have been the second Bad Lieutenant album rather than the tenth New Order album. There, I’ve said it. Shit. Please don’t hate me, New Order. The group are without bass monster Peter Hook, of course, more of which I’ll come to later. Latterly, they …
Album Review: Kurt Vile – b’lieve i’m goin down
Kurt Vile comes off as a bit of a mystery at first. You listen to the guy as he mumbles and shrugs his way through a song, surrounded by some really great music. You wonder is this guy for real? You listen some more and little details, shaded nuances, and sly phrases begin to make …
Album Review: Black-Paw Society – People Doesn’t Care/1955
The album ‘People Doesn’t Care/1955 ‘ may not be as creepily odd as the cover would have you think, but it most definitely has its quirks. More importantly, it is a highly accomplished work of modern pop – one, in fact, that makes you wonder how so many other artists get it wrong. For one …
Album Review: Battles – La Di Da Di
Listening to Battles is like plugging into the mainframe of some futuristic generator. You are instantly pulled into this stream-of-consciousness robot groove that acts as some sort of virtual yellow brick road to meet the fantastical Oz. But Oz isn’t some little man that flew in on a hot air balloon. No, Oz is this …
Album Review: Youth Lagoon – Savage Hills Ballroom
Trevor Powers has the kind of fragility in his voice that when you hear it you feel at any time during a song he may just disappear into thin air. A pin hole leak in a balloon that slowly releases air into the world. Any kind of pressure or pushing will cause a bevy of …
Album review: RHODES – Wishes
A few years ago whilst looking through the Glastonbury line-up, trying to decide which acts to see and which I’d have to miss, I stumbled across a little known singer-songwriter called Ed Sheeran. He was playing numerous times over the weekend on various tiny stages. I remembered the name because his song ‘The A Team’ …
Album Review: Toe – Hear You
Ever get fed up of your music collection? Tire of all the usual indie guitars and house beats? Well maybe you need something completely different. Something unlike anything else you have been listening to. Keep reading. ‘Hear You’ is the new album from Japanese math-rockers Toe, released on Topshelf Records. It is predominantly an instrumental …
Album Review: Lana Del Rey – Honeymoon
Who didn’t love Lana Del Rey’s breakthrough hit ‘Video Games’? It was unique, sexy and classy. It was unlike anything we had heard, and rightly gave Ms. Del Rey her place on the map, and giving her her first top ten single. Since then, reactions to this sultry singer have been somewhat mixed. Her follow …