ALBUM REVIEW – EZRA COLLECTIVE: DANCE, NO ONE’S WATCHING

“Dance is life and you can’t be angry when you’re dancing so keep dancing”, states the voiceover on ‘Our Element’, a brief linking track on Ezra Collective’s new album, ‘Dance, No One’s Watching’. While “anger is an energy” as John Lydon once described it, the horrendous fact that he has ended up as a Trump supporter and this summer’s English racist rioters were defined by rage make it clear that dancing is preferable to anger. The joy of dancing has... Read More

ALBUM REVIEW – GEMMA HAYES: BLIND FAITH

The sixth album from singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes falls into the “grower” category. It is not an album that clamours for attention but through a combination of cunningly low-key instrumentation and storytelling weaves its spell. Having relocated from London to Baltimore, West Cork and taken up residence in the holiday home of her husband’s family, Hayes found herself drawn into late night songwriting sessions on piano in its music room and ‘Blind Faith’ has that sense... Read More

ALBUM REVIEW – WE ARE WINTER’S BLUE AND RADIANT CHILDREN: NO MORE APOCALYPSE FATHER

If you tell me that Efrim Menuck – founding member of one of my personal favourite bands Godspeed You! Black Emperor – has a new project, I’m already on board. We Are Winter’s Blue and Radiant Children have more prestige than just that alone, though. Joining Menuck are Mat Ball, guitarist in drone doom outfit BIG|BRAVE, plus Jonathan Downs and Patch One of post-rock band Ada. It’s a pretty formidable lineup, one that has come together to deliver the six austere... Read More

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 20 SEPTEMBER 2024

Another hearty week of new releases. Here is Silent Radio’s summary. Katy J Pearson             Those Goodbyes        Songs which range from achy-hearted, string-laden confessionals to sleek, chic soundtracks for the small hours The Waeve      City Lights       The second album from Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall is a collection of 10 songs that illustrate the evolution of their collaborative musicianship and sees the band’s sound solidified... Read More

ALBUM REVIEW – THE COURETTES: THE SOUL OF… THE FABULOUS COURETTES

From The Ronettes through the likes of The Marvelettes to The Pipettes, the suffix ‘ettes’ in a band’s name is a reliable indicator of certain qualities. It is a guarantee of a female fronted act, either 1960s originals or heavily inspired by girl action from that era, and punchy pop songs with big choruses and hearts on the dancefloor. From its monochrome cover to its contents, ‘The Soul of… The Fabulous Courettes’ adheres to this template, albeit with a few twists... Read More

ALBUM REVIEW – IBRAHIM MAALOUF: TRUMPETS OF MICHEL-ANGE

French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf’s latest album, ‘Trumpets of Michel-Ange’ sees itself as more than just a record. It is also part of an initiative to make the quarter tone trumpet his father invented accessible via a series of lessons, instruments and recordings. The instrument was crafted with an additional fourth valve which enables the player to mix Middle Eastern and Western scales together in a way that was previously impossible. Each of the tracks on ‘Trumpets... Read More

ALBUM REVIEW – MOLCHAT DOMA: BELAYA POLOSA

Belarus’ biggest post-punk trio, Molchat Doma, are back striking again with their new early ‘80’s Joy Division/ The Cure inspired Atmospheric fourth album, Beyala Polosa, or ‘White Stripe’. This is the band’s first studio album since the release of 2020’s fantastically moody and gloomy Monument. The trio’s best project coming into this album, in my opinion. As an English listener coming into this ten-song album, and already familiar with Molchat Doma’s... Read More

ALBUM REVIEW – DAVID LANCE CALLAHAN: DOWN TO THE MARSHES

On his Bandcamp page, ‘Down to the Marshes’ is self-proclaimed as being David Lance Callahan’s third and best album, as well as being touted as a masterpiece. These are heady claims, especially as his first two solo albums, ‘English Primitive I & II’ were startling works that drew deserved hyperbole from the more discerning music journalists. Let’s look inside and see whether the latest claims are justified. ‘Down to the Marshes’ begins with ‘The Spirit World’... Read More

LIVE REVIEW: THE LEMON TWIGS – ACADEMY 2 12/09/24

The Brian Wilson vocals announce the Twigs are about to twig their way onto the stage, and take the Academy 2 on a strange hour and a half of time-travelling, genre-bending, jangly retro Americana. Plus some Merseybeat. It’s 60s… at times it’s 70s… it’s a little discombobulating, which would be a problem were it not all so… well, nice. Even the rather odd between-song banter between the band makes you feel like you’re back home on Long Island, in the childhood bedroom... Read More

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 13 SEPTEMBER 2024

Silent Radio presents this week’s unruly bundle of releases for your delectation. Juniore               Trois, Deux, Un            Flag-bearers for neo-sixties French-indie cool whose third album channels French classics through the hyperactive lens of B-52s New Wave and 60s American garage-rock. Jade Hairpins                Get Me The Good Stuff          Second album from Fucked Up’s Jonah Falco and Mike Haliechuk –... Read More