Album Reviews
EP Review: As We Leave release new EP ‘Stop Making Plans’
Four friends from the Isle of Wight merge Blur, Beach House, the La’s and their own shared history to produce a an EP packed with glorious acoustic shoegaze anthems.
EP Review: Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers – Ayiti Kongo Dub #1: Fusing Haitian Voodou rhythms with techno intensity.
It was around this time a couple of years ago that the pairing of ceremonial drummers Chouk Bwa and techno extenders The Ångströmers’ first rumbled attention with their potent blend of Voodou rhythms and heavy bass currents. Their joint album ‘Vodou Ale’, released in 2020, stepped out way beyond any Haitian roots meets Belgian minimalism …
Album Review: Xav Clarke – Magic Arrow
Margate-based musician and composer Xav Clarke creates a unique brand of jazz infused, psychedelic indie-pop, fitting somewhere between Tame Impala and Anderson .Paak with a smattering of Todd Rundgren for good measure. A vibrant collection of 13 tracks packed with funk infused rhythms, warming live instrumentation and analogue synths, the new album Magic Arrow possesses …
Album Review: Julian Tenembaum – Fragmentos
After the last few years, the need to escape life has risen its head more and more and what better way to escape than to lose yourself within music. With the melodic folds of Argentinian musician and composer Julian Tenembaum’s music. It may just be the perfect place to get lost in. The first track …
Album Review: Nuklear Prophet – Prophecies 11:21
U-TRAX presents some hi-energy old school electro and bass from Los Angeles turntablist and producer Nuklear Prophet, who follows up his recent EP on U-TRAX with the full-length album Prophecies 11:21.Formed of an eclectic and energetic collection of gems mined from his overwhelming archive, the album takes in genres such as Electro, Hip Hop, Footwork, …
Album Review: Frank Zappa – Zappa/Erie
From the extensive archive, Zappa vault-meister Joe Travers (Dweezil’s drummer) investigated some shows performed in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, and quickly deemed them too good not to release. The 1974 concerts feature some of Zappa’s top-flight musicians of the day playing a selection of equally top tunes ranging from early Mothers to ‘Over-Nite Sensation’ …
Album Review: Aotearoa outfit The Black Seeds deliver depth and sunshine with their long-awaited lockdown album, Love & Fire.
There’s something special about growing up with a band. It seems like only yesterday, we were stumbling across muddy festival fields towards the infectious beats of Keep On Pushing and now here we are, listening to the latest Black Seeds release in between mopping up our children’s vomit and wondering whether we’re ever going to …
Review: Spacey Jane overcome the sophomore album jitters with ‘Here Comes Everyone’
Spacey Jane’s follow up to the wildly successful ‘Sunlight’ consolidates their position as Australia’s favourite indie band.
Album Review: The Brian Jonestown Massacre are back with a jangling psychedelic storm in the brilliant ‘Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees’.
Apparently the first The Brian Jonestown Massacre album in three years has distilled ten tracks from more than 60 recordings made over the years during the COVID lockdowns in singer/songwriter/guitarist Anton Newcombe’s Berlin recording studios. And the result is concentrated goodness, recalling some of Newton’s best material from over the decades. With less experimental sonic …
Album Review: Noori & His Dorpa Band – Beja Power ! : a desert rock, ethio-jazz, surf guitar scorcher from Port Sudan.
Unearthing ‘what the truth sounds like’ is Ostinato Records’ enduring mission. This year we’ve already been introduced to the raw beauty of Capo Verde’s creole soul with the release from the Ano Nobo Quartet and now comes the label’s latest reveal direct from Port Sudan, Noori & His Dorpa Band with the release of Beja …