ALBUM REVIEW – ANTOINE DOUGBE & L’ORCHESTRA POLY-RYTHMO DE COTONOU: S/T

Calling himself ‘The Devil’s Prime Minister”, Antoine Dougbe had a fearsome reputation. The son of a Vodún priest, he was initiated into the religion which while it acknowledges the existence of a single creator is more concerned with minor deities (the Vodúns) who live in the spirit world. This includes figures known as kovitos, spirits […]
Police Dog Hogan, the British band that is firmly rooted in bluegrass and Americana, are back with their seventh album, The Light At The Top Of The Stairs. The band are in touch with their elder selves on this LP, with even the title being a nod to the afterlife, the themes of mortality and […]

ALBUM REVIEW – POLICE DOG HOGAN: THE LIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS

LIVE REVIEW – GORILLAZ: MANCHESTER CO-OP LIVE – 21/03/2026

There’s something inherently strange about a Gorillaz gig, like you’re never just watching a band, you’re stepping into a fully formed world that’s been ticking over long before you arrived. On March 21st at the Co-op Live Arena, that world didn’t just open up, it swallowed the room whole. No radio-friendly warm-up, no predictable pre-show playlist. Instead, the […]
My New Band Believe                My New Band Believe It is as epic and ritzy as Cameron Picton’s previous work in black midi but its sound is fleet-footed rather than scorching. The record is almost entirely acoustic, using the barest amount of reverb and electronic effects possible. Juni Habel         Evergreen In Your Mind             The album […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 10 APRIL 2026

ALBUM REVIEW – HOLLY HUMBERSTONE: CRUEL WORLD

‘So it starts’, Holly Humberstone’s second album titled Cruel World begins with a short musical instrumentation which encapsulates the dreamy feel of the album which is like waking up in a dark forest fading in and out of consciousness as a jumpy violin eases you back into real-life. To accompany these twinkling instruments in the […]
At 10 pm on 8 April 2024, there was a knock on my front door. Opening it, I was astonished to see two paramedics on my doorstep and an ambulance at the end of the driveway. I was even more horrified to discover that it was not some clerical error and they were genuinely there […]

LIVE REVIEW – KRIS DREVER + ANNIE DRESSNER: LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC MUSIC ROOMS – 08/04/2026

ALBUM REVIEW – ULTRABOMB: THE BRIDGES THAT WE BURN

With their new album “The Bridges That We Burn” Ultrabomb have delivered a masterclass in how punk rock can call out political and social issues but still put a smile on the listeners face.  Formed in 2021 and now comprising Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü), Derek O’Brien (Social Distortion / Agent Orange / Adolescents) and Ryan Smith (Soul […]
Sunn O))) have once again provided an album to lose oneself in. A place to forget. A multifaceted white noise machine to slow the world down around you, adding a space for clarity of mind and a chance for breath. That sentiment is undeniable for me when listening to Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley paint these […]

ALBUM REVIEW – SUNN 0))): SUNN O)))

INTERVIEW – FAUNA

  To celebrate the release of their irresistible, joyous debut album ’Taiga Trans’, we sent some questions to Gothenburg band Fauna. Their co-founder and bassist, Ibrahim Shabo (Ibbe), kindly told us more about the collective and how a microwave inspired one of their tracks. Could you give some background as to how the band got […]
Fauna’s debut album is a vivid and vibrant brew. An outernational combination based in Gothenburg in Sweden, they also have backgrounds from France, Finland, Syria, Poland and Turkey which feed into their sound. They utilise traditional instruments such as the darbuka (an ancient hand drum played across North Africa and the Middle East) and the […]

ALBUM REVIEW – FAUNA: TAIGA TRANS