ALBUM REVIEW – THE PAINTED CEILINGS: MAYBE THERE’S A DIFFERENCE

Collecting the last kisses of the sun, Maybe There’s A Difference transports us back to a warmer season. With an ear pressed to nature’s headphone, the spiralled form of a conch concocts wave-like vibrations of a nautical buzz. With the first pinches of strings, the sound of The Painted Ceilings coats you with the salt […]
Another busy week with plenty of releases that are worthy of more than a cursory listen. Here is the Silent Radio guide. Snowgoose                    Descendant   The album features a collaboration of some of Scotland’s most esteemed musicians, including Raymond McGinley (Teenage Fanclub), Chris Geddes (Belle and Sebastian), Stevie Jones (Arab Strap), Tim Davidson (Tracyanne & […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 18 OCTOBER 2024

ALBUM REVIEW – TESS PARKS: POMEGRANATE

What is immediately apparent listening to ‘Pomegranate’ is that while it oozes optimistic sentiments, the album comes from a place of fragility and trauma. It sees Tess Parks working with long-term band member and close collaborator, Ruari Meehan, on a record with a substantially expanded musical palette in comparison to her previous album, ‘And Those […]
What you are about to hear, should you feel inclined to put Guy Blakeslee’s album ‘Extravision’ on after reading this review, is a cohesive and comforting project: every composition contained within is captivating, each evoking a different feeling through the myriad instruments and sounds the musician uses besides the acoustic guitar, which he used to […]

ALBUM REVIEW – GUY BLAKESLEE: EXTRAVISION

ALBUM REVIEW – AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS: CARTOON DARKNESS

Amyl and the Sniffers first came to my attention through seeing the single ‘Chewing Gum’ as a ten second clip and being entranced by the loud guitars, consistent beat and vocals coming from this woman who looked like butter wouldn’t melt.  But, after watching the full video I knew butter definitely would melt and she’d […]
Another week jam-packed with interesting new releases jostling for attention. Here Silent Radio offers its pick. Stick in the Wheel    A Thousand Pokes    As far from pastoral folk as you can get.  Named after the 14th Century story of Tittivilus, the recording demon, who collects scribes’ mistakes (pokes) and the idle chatter of the “liars […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 11 OCTOBER 2024

ALBUM REVIEW – GOAT: GOAT

Swedish masked psych warriors, Goat, have managed to create their own distinct niche. No other band has quite their image or sound, even though their music manages to combine many elements: psychedelia, wild guitar soloing, tribal percussion and chants. It feels appropriate that their latest album, eponymously titled, coincides with them releasing their own set […]
When a new supergroup is formed, it is often expected for the band to play the same genres the members are used to playing in their other bands. Not Cemetery Skyline. The five piece, which consists of members from iconic bands such as Dark Tranquillity and Dimmu Borgir, is not a melodic death metal or […]

ALBUM REVIEW – CEMETERY SKYLINE: NORDIC GOTHIC

ALBUM REVIEW – CHRIS ACKER: FAMOUS LUNCH

Chris Acker is best known for his husky tone and absurd lyricism, often intertwined with raw passion and thought-provoking realism. The first glimpse of Acker’s new record came in the form of ‘Shit Surprise’, a playful track that dances between the lines of self-deprecation and a longing for an evasive love. Unlike the title of […]
Godspeed You! Black Emperor, heralds of the ever-looming geopolitical apocalypse, have returned. Their latest (and eighth full-length) effort, NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024, 28,340 DEAD, sees them as envoys, detailing the simmering horror and outrage of the anarchist underground in reaction to current events. In 2002, GY!BE released their third LP Yanqui U.X.O., […]

ALBUM REVIEW – GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR: NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024, 28,340 DEAD