ALBUM REVIEW – THE LIBERTINES: ALL QUIET ON THE EASTERN ESPLANADE

The Libertines are back with their fantastic, long-awaited fourth studio album ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’, nine years after their last album ‘Anthems for Doomed Youth’.  The album is an expansive mix of raw intimate songs chained to fast, punk, indie-sounding anthems. A real return to form after nine years. Truly there is no […]
A stupendous week of new releases both in terms of quality and quantity. Here is our guide: Annie Dressner              I Thought It Would Be Easier  A singer-songwriter conveying a multitude of emotions with songs that feel open, welcoming and understanding of how complex being human can be. The album ranges from soothing gentle ballads to […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 5 APRIL 2024

ALBUM REVIEW – SINKANE: WE BELONG

After releasing seven studio albums, it would have been easy for Ahmed Gallab the multi-instrumentalist who records as Sinkane to believe he knew everything necessary about making music. Instead, commendably, he enrolled on a masters course in composition at SUNY Purchase. The course honed both his composing and listening skills as each week he would […]
For any artist, the process of constant renewal is a challenge. Reiterating previous successes would be akin to clocking in at the office every day, repeating the same processes on a grinding daily basis. Dana Gavanski has met the challenge of her third album by deliberately trying to make herself uncomfortable. Rather than her normal […]

ALBUM REVIEW – DANA GAVANSKI: LATE SLAP

ALBUM REVIEW – DRAHLA: ANGELTAPE

The opening 40 seconds of shrieking saxophone gives a clear indication of what to expect from Drahla. This is not a band that aspires to an appearance on ‘Sunday Love Songs’. As the first track, ‘Under the Glass’ continues with bruising bass and guitar joining the fray, before vocals eventually add to the frenzy, it […]
From a singer-songwriter album, you might hope for a great voice, emotion, mystery, clarity, melody and sonic variety. The ten tracks that comprise Swiss-Israeli storyteller and activist Ella Ronen’s ‘The Girl With No Skin’ tick all these boxes. They are a collection of songs that mix autobiography with the air of magic realist fables. Some […]

ALBUM REVIEW – ELLA RONEN: THE GIRL WITH NO SKIN

ALBUM REVIEW – THE K’S: I WONDER IF THE WORLD KNOWS?

I Wonder If The World Knows? is a debut of burgeoning brilliance that traverses through the years leading up to its creation as if exploring its own mind. Across twelve tracks, Earlestown originals, The K’s step into the skin of moments gone by and reimagine them thought for thought, note for note. Standing on the […]
In a follow up from 2021’s LOUDMOUTH, VIAL return with a short fit of rage entitled Burnout. Clocking in at just under 20 minutes the album epitomises girly pop-punk much akin to that of Olivia Rodrigo. A study in feminine rage this album tackles subjects ranging from chronic illness, to friendship breakdowns and even hitting […]

ALBUM REVIEW – VIAL: BURNOUT

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 29 MARCH 2024

Here is our roundup of the releases sneaking out on Easter Friday. High Llamas        Hey Panda          Their 11th studio album which combines Sean O’Hagan’s love for the music of J Dilla with his capacity for sumptuous melodies and ridiculous chord changes. Chastity Belt      Live Laugh Love On which the band refine their trademark sound: lush […]
‘Sportswashing’ may be a new term but examples can be seen well before the attempts made by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to cleanse their global reputation through engagement with top quality entertainment. In 1974, the country then named Zaire staged a World Heavyweight championship fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman known as the Rumble […]

ALBUM REVIEW – VARIOUS: CONGO FUNK! SOUND MADNESS FROM THE SHORES OF THE MIGHTY CONGO RIVER (KINSHASA/BRAZZAVILLE 1969-1982)