ALBUM REVIEW – VIAL: BURNOUT

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 […]
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 […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 29 MARCH 2024

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

‘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 […]
After being asked to review ‘Mind, Man, Medicine’ by The Secret Sisters, I was immediately compelled to research their story. With almost one million monthly listeners on Spotify alone and an impressive two GRAMMY nominations under their belts, I decided to press play on the Alabama born siblings’ new record. There was one core question […]

ALBUM REVIEW – THE SECRET SISTERS: MIND, MAN, MEDICINE

LIVE REVIEW: WILLIAM DOYLE – DEAF INSTITUTE 24/03/2024

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening. William Doyle is on a tour around the UK supporting his fantastic new album Springs Eternal, just him and his friend Alex Painter playing tracks that have been, according to Doyle’s Instagram, “repurposed…to work extra nicely as a duo, trying to replace things where a human […]
 Arriving at Manchester’s O2 Apollo in the back of that Uber was a mix of excitement and nerves as either tonight would be one of the greatest gigs to be witnessed or a night filled with a lacklustre performance, overpriced drinks, boredom, regret and the taste of another man’s sweat in your mouth.  Getting out […]

LIVE REVIEW – YARD ACT: MANCHESTER APOLLO 16/03/24

ALBUM REVIEW – PISSED JEANS: HALF DIVORCED

On their sixth full-length album, Pissed Jeans are as unruly as ever. Bringing out a new batch of their noise-rock/hardcore punk brew, the band bring new insight into their world of bleak, sarcastic wit. Opener ‘Killing All the Wrong People’ barrages through its runtime of just over two minutes, bass writhing under the epidermis, guitars […]
Deep Sage, the third full length effort by Florida noise rock band Gouge Away, wrestles with the torturous weight of everyday struggles with candidness, and in the process sees the band write some of their best material. Opener ‘Stuck in a Dream’ sets the tone of the record with a call-and-response riff and the barked […]

ALBUM REVIEW – GOUGE AWAY: DEEP SAGE

ALBUM REVIEW: BEDBUG – PACK YOUR BAGS, THE SUN IS GROWING

Album number four, ‘Pack Your Bags, The Sun Is Growing’ is a genuine down to earth album which is definitely worth your time., even if you may initially feel it’s out of your genre comfort zone, stick with it! Their sound keeps you in a meditative state of mind, just listen to “Halo on The […]
Discussing the inspiration for ‘Hey Panda’, High Llama’s songwriter/arranger Sean O’Hagan stated, “We live in the finest non- judgemental musical times where the legacies of soul, jazz and lo fi indie have produced a hybrid of generous and stunning creativity. I want Hey Panda to be of this generation.” How refreshing it is to hear […]

ALBUM REVIEW – HIGH LLAMAS: HEY PANDA