ALBUM REVIEW – PENELOPE ISLES: 3

There is substantial numerological logic to Penelope Isles naming this album ‘3’. In addition to being their third album, it is their first as a true three-piece with siblings Lily and Jack Wolter being joined by drummer Joe Taylor, best known for playing with Anna B Savage. It is also three years since they played […]
Between working with some of the biggest artists in the world such as Drake and Dr. Dre as well as building his own impressive discography, Kiefer has built a sound that feels entirely his own. As pianist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, his music carries an effortless balance between technical musicianship and the loose, beat-driven energy of […]

ALBUM REVIEW – KIEFER: MEMORY BOMB

ALBUM REVIEW – BIITA HOUDEI: THIS BED WAS MADE FOR ME

Biita (pronounced Bee-tah) means “unique” in the Farsi language. The name was gifted by her aunt to Lisa Houdei who has chosen to record her debut album under this moniker to feel closer to her Persian heritage. The idea of being unique is a grand claim and while Biita Houdei’s music is not completely unlike […]
The music of Dur-Dur Band captures the energy and optimism of 1980s Mogadishu. They were the prime exponents of a sound which blended Somali melodies with disco, funk, jazz, soul and reggae. As Dur-Dur translates as stream, all these elements could be compared to tributaries feeding into the smooth running of a larger river. It […]

ALBUM REVIEW – DUR-DUR BAND: DUR-DUR VOLUME 3 (1988) & 4 (1989)

ALBUM REVIEW – THE CHEAP THRILLS: KEEP CHEAP

It feels like bias will spill everywhere and lines overlapping writing about The Cheap Thrills and being a Scouser but, the music without a doubt backs it up and the impact in the Liverpool music scene can’t be understated. Hailing from Walton Vale, the fourpiece have always worn who they are like a badge of […]
Various               Nigeria 80         ‘Nigeria 70’ was one of the ultimate compilations, shining a light on a vibrant music scene. It still sounds fresh today. This new release moves forward, diving deep into the explosive sound world of 1980s Nigeria. With all tracks reissued here for the first time, ‘Nigeria 80’ spans highlife, juju, Afrobeat, reggae, […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 11 SEPTEMBER 2026

ALBUM REVIEW – RODRIGO Y GABRIELA: OUR HOME

For Rodrigo y Gabriela, home is not necessarily a physical place, more a sense of having purpose and inner peace instead of seeking external approval. The seventh album from the Grammy award winning (for 2019’s ‘Mettavolution’) Mexico City-bred instrumental duo of Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero radiates that quality. However, place is also a key […]
Enemies of spellcheck, Stoke-on-Trent’s Formal Sppeedwear, parade a dazzling debut decked out with a lorryload of ideas. It is easy to recognise influences (Devo, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Fashion-era Bowie, Steve Reich, Talking Heads) but they manage to create something fresh, energetic and coherent from that sonic jumble. Although these are all 20th Century influences, they […]

ALBUM REVIEW – FORMAL SPPEEDWEAR: PUNCH CARD

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 4 SEPTEMBER 2026

 Arab Strap         Half-Told Tales               Their ninth album comes almost thirty years to the day since their first single was released. The most prevailing theme across the record is time. “The album title sounds like a fairytale book, until you get to the end of the record and you realise that I’m talking about lives that have […]
An encore is an extra performance given at the end of a concert or show, or a call by the audience for the performers to return. After a career spanning almost five decades, Pulp make their debut at the O2 to prove what exactly they would do for an encore. ‘Spike island’ begins, welcoming an […]

ALBUM REVIEW – PULP: LIVE