ALBUM REVIEW – SUNNY WAR: ARMAGEDDON IN A SUMMER DRESS

The artist name and album title neatly capture the conflicts and contradictions of this record. Sunny War is a variation on her birthname, Sydney Ward, while ‘Armageddon in a Summer Dress’ reflects the contrast between the darker and political nature of her subject matter with the tuneful, rootsy accessibility of her songs. Her biography points […]
What better Valentine’s Day gift could there be than a new album! Here is Silent Radio’s weekly guide. Piers Faccinni & Ballaké Sissoko   Our Calling     An intimate, side-by-side dialogue that seamlessly melds Malian tradition with English folk songwriting, sung in the English language. It is a tribute to migration in all its forms: seeds carried on […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 14 FEBRUARY 2025

ALBUM REVIEW – RICHARD DAWSON: END OF THE MIDDLE

While many singer-songwriters mine personal experience for subject matter, a glance at Richard Dawson’s discography makes it clear that he is not an autobiographical writer. 2017’s ‘Peasant’ was set in medieval times whilst his most recent album, 2022’s ‘The Ruby Chord’ took place in a troubled virtual reality future so it is safe to say […]
The world is lacking many Motown inspired bands that are full of soul and character.  With bands like Thee Sacred Souls and Leon Bridges manning the lantern, The Altons are here to help fill that void, originating from Southeast LA and being grossly submerged in the growing soul scene.  From the sticky floors in local […]

ALBUM REVIEW – THE ALTONS: HEARTACHE IN ROOM 14

ALBUM REVIEW – THE OCELOTS: EVERYTHING, WHEN SAID SLOWLY

I find myself on a train, witnessing the Welsh countryside pass me by as I head home. My soundtrack? A glistening acoustic folk album which reflects the setting and, at points, the thoughts entering my mind perfectly. The Ocelots’ Everything, When Said Slowly is remarkable in its divisive beauty, whether you find yourself focusing on […]
On The Wire is a long-running radio show presented by Steve Barker which started broadcasting in 1984. Unlike anything else on BBC Radio Lancashire (or any other station) in its Sunday afternoon heyday, it introduced its listeners to a huge array of sounds. Among the delights being offered up in the 1980s were On-U-Sounds, cutting […]

ALBUM REVIEW – BHAJAN BHOY: BHOY ON THE WIRE

ALBUM REVIEW – OLLY ALEXANDER: POLARI

Olly Alexander, the former frontman of Years and Years, makes a striking debut with his album Polari. The title itself is a nod to a coded slang historically used by minority groups, particularly within the gay community, symbolising themes of visibility and self-expression. This rich metaphor is intricately woven into the lyrics, as Alexander embarks […]
Another busy week of new releases with plenty of highlights. Nadia Reid      Enter Now Brightness            Reid was pregnant during the album’s creation and plagued by morning sickness — there are photos of her asleep on the studio sofa and memories of vomiting between takes. But she found impending motherhood, and, later, the intricate process of […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 7 FEBRUARY 2025

ALBUM REVIEW – INHALER: OPEN WIDE

Orchids shoot upwards from a single point. Their stem and flowers stretch from one inseparably tangled mass of roots. Perhaps this imagery was the exact thinking behind the artwork for the third studio album of Irish sound-florists, Inhaler. Their Joy Division meets Radiohead feel coupled with an ambition and work ethic to rival any emerging […]
There is a magic to the story of The Delines’ foundation. Willy Vlautin, singer-songwriter with Richmond Fontaine, heard Amy Boone of The Damnations sing one ballad. So struck was he by her voice that he secretly wrote her songs for over a year before approaching her and asking to form a band. Fortunately, she was […]

ALBUM REVIEW – THE DELINES: MR LUCK & MS DOOM