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The average home contains so much detritus on its shelves: dust, empty sweet wrappers, out of date tinned food, unread copies of ‘Moby Dick’ and ‘Ulysses’.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

ALBUM REVIEW: DJANGO DJANGO – OFF PLANET

The British group Django Django are renowned for their varied and avant-garde musical tastes. Vincent Neff (vocals and guitar), Jimmy Dixon (bass), Tommy Grace (synthesisers), and Dave Maclean (drums) make up the band, which was founded in 2009. The name Django Django, which highlights the band’s interest in fusing various genres and styles, is derived from […]
For many years, the idea of classical music was intimidating to me. The class connotations were off-putting together with the sense of a white, male and stale canon. The absence of lyrics also meant there was less to latch onto. Michael Nyman’s score to Peter Greenaway’s film ‘The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover’ […]

ALBUM REVIEW – MANCHESTER COLLECTIVE: NEON

ALBUM REVIEW – CORY HANSON: WESTERN CUM

Three albums into his solo career, Wand’s Cory Hanson has conjured distinct and magical flavours each time. Debut release, 2016’s ‘The Unborn Capitalist from Limbo’, dealt out an unimpeachably lush psychedelia while its follow up, ‘Pale Horse Rider’, developed a country rock tinge. With his latest release, Hanson leaps into rock territory. To these ears, […]
This week Silent Radio offers you a selection ranging all the way from obscure experimentation to chart toppers old and new. SunYears – Come Fetch My Soul A collection of top-quality songwriting from Swedish singer/songwriter Peter Morén (Peter Bjorn and John) with guest vocals from Jess Williamson, Fruit Bats, Kathryn Williams, Ren Harvieu and an […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 16 JUNE 2023

ALBUM REVIEW: CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS – PARANOIA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE

‘PARANOIA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE’ is the latest release from Christine and the Queens since 2022’s much-loved ‘Redcar les adorables étoiles’. In the form of an intense 20 tracks, Redcar displays himself in full vulnerability to put forward his personal journey, including collaborations from Madonna and 070 Shake, this album really is full of surprises. ‘Overture’ […]
This week sees another selection of releases to excite and intrigue. Here is a precis: Youth Lagoon – Heaven is a Junkyard An understated and enticing record of mutant Americana in a world of love, drugs, storytelling and miracles, held together by Trevor Powers’ voice and an upright piano. This is the Kit – Careful […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 9 JUNE 2023

BOOK REVIEW – THANK YOU FOR A LOVELY DAY: 11 THE GO-BETWEENS SONGCOMICS (EDITED BY GUNTHER BUSKIES AND JONAS ENGELMANN)

When Robert Forster and Grant McLennan announced a reunion in 1999 having split The Go-Betweens at the end of the 1980s, I greeted it like the equivalent of Lennon and McCartney getting back together. While they never achieved the commercial success that their songwriting deserved, amongst their devoted following they attained legendary status.  Seventeen years […]
There is no sign of the traditional summer ease up in releases with lots of tasty treats out this week. WITCH Zango A very welcome return for Zambia’s greatest rock band and originator of Zamrock return with their first album in 39 years sounding remarkably fresh and featuring two of their original members and their […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 2 JUNE 2023