ALBUM REVIEW – HAIM: I QUIT

“Can I have your attention please, for the last time before I leave.” Yes HAIM you have my full attention. In the fourth studio album by Southern California sister trio HAIM, titled I quit, the trio explore the trivial nature of romantic relationships while primarily focussing on the complexities. In the first track titled ‘Gone’, […]
Jeanines           How Long Can It Last             A distinctive course through the history of pop, evoking influences as varied as the 60s folk of early Fairport Convention and Vashti Bunyan, the sunshine pop of Margo Guryan and Laura Nyro, and indiepop touchstones like Dear Nora, Marine Girls, Dolly Mixture, and the post-Black Tambourine projects of Pam […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 27 JUNE 2025

ALBUM REVIEW – ANNAHSTASIA: TETHER

“This one life and memory” Raw. Unkempt. Undisguised. A few choice words that I feel encapsulate the overall mood of Annahstasia’s debut outing, “Tether”. But another word I feel springs to mind better sums up why Tether lands so strongly. Singular. Growing up, Annahstasia Enuke never saw herself as a singer or a music artist, […]
Hearing Tian Qiyi for the first time, in session on 6Music’s Riley and Coe show in 2023, was one of those dumbfounding moments. Here was something outside of the realm of my common experience. While there is a saying about music being a universal language that may really be more a celebration of cultural homogeneity […]

ALBUM REVIEW – TIAN QIYI: SONGS FOR WORKERS

ALBUM REVIEW – FRANKIE COSMOS: DIFFERENT TALKING

Grounded upon a musical foundation of gloriously youthful indie-rock sounds, four-piece New York based Frankie Cosmos declare their talents with sixth album Different Talking. At first, the 17-song track list appears daunting, but with songs no longer than three minutes, we are met with an almost rapid fire of snappy yet thought-provokingly relatable lyrics set […]
Known for his introspective and sociopolitical lyrics, Loyle Carner has changed the UK rap scene. With beats that wouldn’t be out of place on a The Roots or MF Doom album allowing the listener to truly hear what he is saying. Carner is adored by critics and all of which is shown by numerous award […]

ALBUM REVIEW – LOYLE CARNER: HOPEFULLY!

EP REVIEW – DEADLANDS: SEVEN

People all process emotions differently. It is part of what makes us unique. Music for a lot of us is our outlet to let emotions such as grief, stress and anxiety come out, and that is why music tends to be so relatable. This is what metalcore duo Deadlands strive to emit through their music, […]
The third album from Scottish smallpipes player, Brighde Chaimbeul, is released on 27 June 2025. ‘Sunwise’ is a collection of original and traditional compositions that display the emotional power of the pipes. An artist who is open to collaboration, she has again worked with the saxophonist Colin Stetson on the record while she has also […]

INTERVIEW – BRIGHDE CHAIMBEUL

ALBUM REVIEW – BRIGHDE CHAIMBEUL: SUNWISE

When I was growing up in England, bagpipes were often subjected to ridicule. Whilst this could in part have been due to their tonal contrast with conventional pop music of the time, there may have also been the unthinking residue of anti-Scottish prejudice that led to the instrument’s widespread mockery. Fortunately, in recent months, Glitterbeat […]
David Bowie’s 1972 appearance on Top of the Pops with ‘Starman’ is usually cited as the ultimate transformative performance on the show. As someone who was a couple of years too young for Bowie, Sparks’ debut with ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us’ seemed similarly iconic. Whilst the seven-year-old me might not […]

LIVE REVIEW – SPARKS: MANCHESTER APOLLO – 22/06/2025