indie albums
Album Review: Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
I must admit, Public Service Broadcasting had me going for a moment there. After their debut album Inform – Educate – Entertain wonderfully demonstrated that Willgoose, Wrigglesworth and Abraham could do exactly that with samples from archive footage and public information films and some cracking tunes, the more thematically linked The Race for Space disappointed …
Album Review: The Cribs – 24/7 Rock Star Shit
24/7 Rock Star Shit is the new album by Wakefield lads The Cribs. Their seventh studio album (if you don’t include best-of Payola) begins in the most Cribs was possible; a screech of guitar into an immediately catchy riff. The classic Jarman brother vocals on Give Good Time aren’t note perfect, but that isn’t why …
Album Review: The Fall – New Facts Emerge
One thing that always remained the norm was the output of Mark E Smith and The Fall. However this 32nd 10 inch double vinyl album, titled New Facts Emerge, is testing, very testing, the chaotic nature of Smith`s backing bands have been as much an appeal as his writing style since the late 70`s, this …
Album Review: Siobhan Wilson – There Are No Saints
Siobhan Wilson provides the heavenly soundtrack to heartbreak and healing with her second album ‘There Are No Saints’. After returning to Scotland from Paris five years ago, Siobhan Wilson moved from Elgin to Glasgow and used her background in classical music and French jazz to stunning effect. Her second album ‘There Are No Saints’ (out …
Album Review: tunnel traffic – MEESH
Adam Hachey writes under the name tunnel traffic but we’ve met him before playing as part of a band called Meesh – enthusiastically reviewed by Backseat Mafia a few years back (sadly unavailable on the site at the moment). tunnel traffic have now released an album entitled MEESH just to confuse things, but one thing …
Album Review : United Waters’ ‘The Narrows’
I won’t pretend to know much about Mouthus. I won’t because I don’t. I know nothing about the noise rock duo that hailed from Brooklyn, New York and who released close to 200 LPs in the course of 10 years(probably wasn’t that many records.) Well, I do know something. I know that Mouthus’ guitarist Brian …
Album Review : Mac Demarco’s ‘This Old Dog’
Mac Demarco is a hard one to put your finger on. On his last two albums 2 and Salad Days there was a definitely this vibe of a true blue singer/songwriter. He could put together these breezy, carefree tunes that brought to mind Harry Nilsson, Jonathan Richman, and even Cat Stevens. But there was this …
Album Review: San Cisco – The Water
San Cisco return with their eagerly awaited third album “The Water”, following the tracks “Slo Mo” and “Hey, Did I Do You Wrong”. It’s the follow up to their smash “Gracetown” which reached #2 in the Australian charts in 2015. The band (Jordi Davieson, Scarlett Stevens, Josh Biondillo and Nick Gardner) have toured extensively in …
Album Review: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – The Tourist
Returning with more collective style indie-pop are sometime Pitchfork darlings of the noughties “Clap Your Hands Say Yeah”. Alec Ounsworth and associates are back, with their fifth album “The Tourist”. Initial impressions being that it’s a touch funkier than before, “Am I The pilot or Am I the Tourist?” is a particularly strong opener, …
Album Review: Aimee Mann – Mental Illness
Aimee Mann has always had an interesting approach to making music. With a mix of guitar pop anthems and rousing acoustic ballads, her lyrical prowess and dry wit has always kept her on top of her game; probably the reason she is still going strong after nine albums and twenty-five years. And that’s merely her …