ALBUM REVIEW – OLOF ARNALDS: SPIRA

Björk once described Ólöf Arnalds as “somewhere between a child and an old woman.” Clearly, this was not intended as an insult and it neatly encapsulates the charms that she brings to her fifth album, ‘Spíra’, which translates as Sprouts. Sometimes those polar opposites in age have similarities. The honesty and openness of childhood can […]
Tackling the blistering cold and puddles that coat the cuffs of your jeans, we make our way to Victoria Warehouse. The queue is set up like Takeshi’s castle and a great feeling of accomplishment overcomes the body before the strip search takes place. Tickets scanned and patted down; we walk through the door where we […]

LIVE REVIEW – LOYLE CARNER: VICTORIA WAREHOUSE – 23/11/2025

ALBUM REVIEW – THE JIMI TENOR BAND: SELENITES, SELENITES!

News flash! In case anyone has failed to notice, it is horrible out in the wider world. Despots in charge, anger, poverty, wars, pending environmental catastrophe and the dystopic possibilities of AI. Musicians are faced with a broad variety of choices: their songs could be a howl of rage, self-pitying whinges, thoughtful analysis of contemporary […]
With an undercutting tenderness, The Royston Club’s discography continues to have an ever-tightening lasso around our necks – a rosary of the Royston religion. Their sophomore record, Songs For The Spine, is charm-soaked vulnerability on stereo. Over two years since the release of their former album, they’re meandering across countries on an expedition of reconciliation. […]

LIVE REVIEW – THE ROYSTON CLUB: CHESTER LIVE ROOMS – 13/11/2025

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 21 NOVEMBER 2025

Lisa O’Neill       The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right              Cavan songwriter whose six-track EP tackles a variety of social injustices in her distinctive folk style. Donna Thompson         What In The World?!?  Six track EP takes a deep dive into some of the relationships and situations faced whilst navigating new territories in life such as romance […]
After taking some time out to focus on their respective solo careers, 5 Seconds of Summer, commonly shortened to 5SOS, are back with their first studio album in three years titled Everyone’s a Star! Their sound has come a long way since the days of ‘She Looks so Perfect,’ and they are back with an […]

ALBUM REVIEW – 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER: EVERYONE’S A STAR!

ALBUM REVIEW – CELESTE: WOMAN OF FACES

Making an album seems pretty plain sailing.  In most cases, yes, but not at all for Celeste. When British soul and jazz singer Celeste released her debut album in 2021, it topped the charts in the UK, earned an Oscar nomination for ‘Hear my Voice’ and featured in the John Lewis Christmas advert with ‘A Little Love’. However, after the Covid-19 pandemic and a […]
When you think of Happy Mondays, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Shaun Ryder’s Outrages swagger? Bez throwing shapes? Lots and lots of ecstasy? All of the above are appropriate responses to hearing the name of one of the funkiest, bounciest and hippest bands in late 80s Manchester. And the man who found […]

ALBUM REVIEW – HAPPY MONDAYS: THE FACTORY SINGLES

EP REVIEW – DRESS & TIE: LOVE SUNG BY… DRESS & TIE

In just ten minutes, Dress & Tie have managed to capture everything that love is. In its more dramatic moments, it’s the backstreets of Paris, amoristic accordions pulled together by a crescent moon. In domesticity, it’s home video tapes, subtle ukuleles that reveal in their haze how lucky we are to know and be known […]
Usually, I call people pretentious when they say that they were born in the wrong generation, however I make an exception when it comes to that being how I feel about the band Pavement. I should’ve been at a Pavement gig in the 90s, luckily they have just released a new compilation album titled Heckler’s […]

ALBUM REVIEW – PAVEMENT: HECKLER’S CHOICE