ALBUM REVIEW – WILL STRATTON: POINTS OF ORIGIN

The notes that accompany Will Stratton’s eighth album, ‘Points of Origin’, state that it is a work of fiction and that any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. It is the type of statement that would normally form the caveat at the start of a film and offers […]
“I appreciate a few songs ago I told you to sing ‘open your eyes’ and now I’m asking you to sing ‘shut your eyes’… but… fuck it.” To be honest Gary Lightbody could ask this crowd to sing ‘Half a Pound of Tuppeny Rice’ and they would gladly comply. And that’s quite something when you […]

LIVE REVIEW – SNOW PATROL: MANCHESTER CO-OP LIVE – 22/02/2025

ALBUM REVIEW: ARTISTS – C92

From the way it’s often reported you would have thought that the early 90’s indie music scene in the UK was a barren wasteland, dominated by the success of US alternative bands, just waiting for Britpop to happen. As a teen going to gigs around that time, I can definitively confirm that nothing could be […]
The wilderness is a very common concept in alternative music. Every artist has a different approach to writing about the wilderness, and it is very hard to capture the true essence of a forest, or the weather that an artist experiences. This is where GRIMA enters. This Siberian black metal act has aimed to pay […]

ALBUM REVIEW – GRIMA: NIGHTSIDE

ALBUM REVIEW – SAM FENDER: PEOPLE WATCHING

With a timeless discography in a modern world, Sam Fender’s third studio album People Watching is welcomed with open arms. Delving into hope, grief and solidarity, a mosaic of emotions is skilfully pieced together. Like a mirror ball, every version of himself is reflected. Beneath a candid light, this array of songs evokes the conflicts […]
Here is our weekly roundup of new releases. Parastatic       Concrete Reborn       Trio that fuses motorik grooves with thumping synths and magical guitar sounds and have joined forces with Valencia-born, Newcastle-based spoken word artist Late Girl for an album that celebrates the monolithic power of brutalist architecture. Their groove-filled soundscapes bring to mind the excellence of […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 21 FEBRUARY 2025

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 […]
As post-punk and artists influenced by that era have been a large part of my musical diet for the past 40 years, it is understandable that music broadly linked to that genre has become jaded to my ears. Under those circumstances, it makes the excitement generated by Gdańsk, Poland trio Trupa Trupa’s new EP all […]

EP REVIEW – TRUPA TRUPA: MOURNERS

LIVE REVIEW – ANNA B SAVAGE: MANCHESTER NIGHT AND DAY – 13/02/2025

Sixteen years ago, Anna B Savage played her second ever gig in a former band at The Night and Day.  “I was stood in the same spot, shitting myself. Nothing has changed.” she jokes. However, much is different. Tonight is sold out, reward for a voice of cherry blossom-like gorgeousness and bracingly autobiographical lyrics. It […]
Intertwining heartbreak, romance and a sprinkle of flintiness, Arthur Hill’s In The Middle Of Somewhere is laced with undeniably honest lyrics. ‘Hey Arthur,’ the EP’s enticing first single and opening track begins with a quirky conversation. “Hey Arthur, who’s that girl who ruined your life,” a women’s voice asks, preparing you for the sincere, heartbreak […]

EP REVIEW – ARTHUR HILL: IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE