ALBUM REVIEW – CHARIF MEGARBANE: MARZIPAN

Until now, Habibi Funk Records has specialised in releasing music that was originally recorded decades ago. With their latest release, Charif Megarbane’s ‘Marzipan’, they have unleashed a collection of tracks recorded in Beirut and Lisbon in the second half of 2022. Megarbane is a multi-instrumentalist making what he calls ‘Lebrary’ music, a mix of Lebanese […]
I never used to be pleased to see an album with only seven songs; it just didn’t seem like good value –but nowadays seven songs clocking in at over an hour seems like a promise of some good development and most likely some serious musicianship, so I’m all aboard! The Mighty Bard are a British […]

THE MIGHTY BARD – BEYOND THE GATE

ALBUM REVIEW: THE PIGEON DETECTIVES – TV SHOW

With pre-released singles, ‘Lovers Come and Lovers Go’, ‘Falling To Pieces’, and ‘Summer Girl’ already drilled into the brain of every indie-lover, The Pigeon Detectives are raising the tension in the scene with the wait for their sixth studio album, ‘TV Show’. The band’s celebratory rerelease of ‘Emergency’  for its 15th anniversary from earlier this […]
July begins with a hefty batch of releases. It is an especially busy week for bands with Pigeon in their name, although no sign of a Lieutenant Pigeon reissue. Anohni and the Johnsons My Back Was A Bridge To Cross For You Inspired by Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ tackling global and environmental concerns, the […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 7 JULY 2023

ALBUM REVIEW – PJ HARVEY: I INSIDE THE OLD YEAR DYING

When PJ Harvey released her debut single, ‘Dress’, in 1991, it was immediately apparent that she had star quality. Matching a startling self-possessed voice to attention-grabbing lyrics, her songwriting managed to blend a recognisable indie rock style with more experimental elements. Over the subsequent 32 years, she has developed an ideal career, one where she […]
The emotional rollercoaster ‘Chaos For The Fly’ is lead singer of huge rock band Fontaines DC, Grian Chatten’s first solo album. Chatten decided to create an album of raw, earnest songs that he wrote alone with his guitar. Certainly, this album incorporates poetic lyricism and powerful guitar to shape a masterpiece.  A moment of airy […]

ALBUM REVIEW: GRIAN CHATTEN – CHAOS FOR THE FLY

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 30 JUNE 2023

June ends with a lovely collection of releases which are gathered here in our weekly guide. Sweeping Promises – Good Living is Coming for You Boston post-punk band that dirties up earworm melodies with a lo-fi charm. Influences discernible on the album take in Young Marble Giants, Kleenex/LiLiPUT, B-52s and Blondie. Mong Tong – Tao […]
With their second album, Kansas based duo Sweeping Promises have got post-punk and riot grrrl influenced tunes that maximise urgency while retaining space and minimalism off to a fine tee. The ten songs that comprise ‘Good Living Is Coming For You’ pack plenty of inspiration into their tightly packed two and three minute durations. While […]

ALBUM REVIEW – SWEEPING PROMISES: GOOD LIVING IS COMING FOR YOU

EP REVIEW – JOHN MONROE AND FIELD MUSIC: SONGS FROM THE SHELF

The average home contains so much detritus on its shelves: dust, empty sweet wrappers, out of date tinned food, unread copies of ‘Moby Dick’ and ‘Ulysses’. Daylight Saving Records clearly has a higher quality of material languishing in its vaults waiting to be rediscovered. The five songs on this EP date back to recording sessions […]
While big names are clamouring for attention at Glastonbury, this week sees a range of interesting, smaller-scale releases. Cory Hanson – Western Cum A high-stepping, hard-dancing, first love/heartbreak, tonight’s-the-night, future nostalgia kind of good time with a heavier sound than previous releases. Skating Polly – Chaos Country Line Songs journey from art-punk to noise-rock to […]

ALBUM RELEASES ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 23 JUNE 2023