ALBUM REVIEW – SQUEEZE: TRIXIES

Chris Difford is one of pop’s greatest storytelling lyricists. Classics like the kitchen sink drama ‘Up The Junction’ (a rare song in which the title makes its solitary appearance in the final line) and the countrified tale of poverty and addiction ‘Labelled With Love’ were both UK top ten hits over 45 years ago and […]
Sons of Town Hall         Of Ghosts and Gods    It’s part folk record, part storytelling adventure that evokes Tom Waits-like lyricism and Everly Brothers-style harmonies while featuring atmospheric strings arranged by Will Robertson, horns played by Jordan Katz (De La Soul, Father John Misty, Macy Gray) and the imaginative textures of percussionist and drummer Mathias Kunzli […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 6 MARCH 2026

ALBUM REVIEW – AGABAS: HARD ANGER

There are some bands that make a living out of exploring the boundaries within the genres of music they play, and there are others who completely change the game with their music. Upon first inspection, combining black, progressive and death metal with jazz should not work, however, Agabas are not your typical alternative musicians. Incorporating […]
Converge. Possibly the most legendary and revered hardcore band of all time, an institution of no-frills brutality and absolute commitment to the craft. Well into their fourth decade as a band, Love Is Not Enough is the newest entry in their flawless discography, and it’s a worthy offering.  Converge have a reputation, no pretention, no egos, no holier than thous. This record is one of the gnarliest they’ve produced in their […]

ALBUM REVIEW – CONVERGE: LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH

ALBUM REVIEW – PETER GABRIEL: IN THE BIG ROOM

Peter Gabriel, the mastermind behind Genesis, and the procurer of a great solo career afterwards, has returned in all of his Progressive Rock glory. He has gifted us with a new live album from arguably one of the best times in his music career. The date was November 23rd, 2003, and Gabriel had decided to […]
By far the busiest week of 2026 for new releases so far, plenty of high quality as well. Deathcrash       Somersaults     London-based slowcore quartet. Thematically, ‘Somersaults’ began to deal with a more discreet, more complicated, second “coming of age” period. Buck Meek       The Mirror         Conceptually, The Mirror emerged from the idea to combine Meek’s band’s live, […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 27 FEBRUARY 2026

ALBUM REVIEW – THE DELINES: THE SET UP

Willy Vlautin is a master world builder. Over the course of half a dozen albums with The Delines, he has created the equivalent of an intricate portmanteau movie with recurring themes and characters making return appearances. In his other career as an author, his most recent novel ‘The Horse’ was about an old musician riddled […]
There is a strong thread of death running through Quebec duo Bibi Club’s third album. Rather than a self-indulgent, goth teenage wallowing in mortality, it is a heartfelt response to the passing of two loved ones in the past year. It is a recurrent theme throughout ‘Amaro’, many of the eleven songs including variations on […]

ALBUM REVIEW – BIBI CLUB: AMARO

ALBUM REVIEW – THE DREAM MACHINE: FORT PERCH ROCK

The Sixties are back in, and The Dream Machine are navigating the waters on their third album ‘Fort Perch Rock.   New Brighton natives whose evocative lyricism is evident on every release, embody The Beach Boys on this album as insight is given by vocalist Zak McDonnell, “‘Things That Make Us Cry’ is me doing […]
 Hen Ogledd      Discombobulated        Their most complex and emotionally charged record to date, involving meditations on political tumult, personal crisis and mental wellbeing in a world gone mad, yet also their most warmly inclusive and accessible. Charm School                Skadenfreude Ploy EP               Four tracks taking their influence from the underground Louisville scene together with a little […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 20 FEBRUARY 2026