ALBUM REVIEW – DAVID FRANKLIN COURTRIGHT: BRUTAL TENDERNESS

An intake of breath is the first sound you hear on David Franklin Courtright’s debut album, Brutal Tenderness, and you’d better take a deep breath of your own – for 35 minutes, the LA-based singer-songwriter will confront you with all his vulnerability, raw and unvarnished, as he searches for inner peace while exploring his queer […]
Now that it is September, bedlam ensues with numerous quality releases clamouring for attention. Here is our weekly guide. Go Kurosawa   soft shakes       Solo debut from Kikagaku Moya member. Each day, Go would head to the studio, pick up whatever instrument was around and simply play. The process was slow and instinctive. “If something still […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 5 SEPTEMBER 2025

ALBUM REVIEW – SAINT ETIENNE: INTERNATIONAL

After 35 years, 13 studio albums, and a discography which found its identity by leaping between trip hop, synth pop and indie, Saint Etienne call it a day with the release of International, their final studio album. Exploring that vast collection of sounds the band has divulged in within their music, International is a journey […]
From the front, Hallé St Michaels is an inconspicuous building: nestled in a picturesque residential area of Ancoats, it is easily missed or, if seen, mistaken as any old church. ‘Any old’ it is not, though, given the concert it hosted on Thursday 28th August. As one would expect in an old church building, this […]

LIVE REVIEW – HAYDEN PEDIGO: ST MICHAELS, ANCOATS- 28/08/2025

ALBUM REVIEW – WATER FROM YOUR EYES: IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE

“Contact, contact, all this shattered impact, shake three”. My introduction to Water From Your Eyes, and by extension, their second LP, was lead single ‘Life Signs’ which struck a nerve in me. An incredibly good nerve at that. Lead singer Rachel Brown may have a monotonal delivery, but their performance is just one key of […]
It is incredibly rare to see a band blow up in popularity after releasing their debut, but even if it is rare, it is not impossible to see, especially nowadays. This is something that Fleshwater have accomplished. This outfit are known for their mesmerising vocals and intricate musicianship, which has evidently been elevated in 2000: […]

ALBUM REVIEW : FLESHWATER – 2000: IN SEARCH OF THE ENDLESS SKY

ALBUM REVIEW – ETCETERAL: KIMATIKA

Until recent months, my knowledge of Slovenian music was non-existent. Now, thanks to tak:til / Glitterbeat unveiling diverse musical delights from around the globe, I can name two acts worthy of attention. October sees the release of ‘In the Wind of Night, Hard Fallen Incantations Whisper’ by avant-folk trio Širom, a trio utilising over 20 […]
Irish pop country sensation returns with her long-awaited third studio album, titled Eurocountry. It is her first album since 2023, and it does not disappoint! Few people could get away with singing about their hatred for Jamie Oliver, the collapse of the Celtic Tiger and a casual nod to Calpol, and make it work. But […]

ALBUM REVIEW – CMAT: EUROCOUNTRY

ALBUM REVIEW – SABRINA CARPENTER: MAN’S BEST FRIEND

“Oh boy.” In early June, these words called out like the lowlights of a cowboy bar on a silent drive and delivered the news that the Dolly Pocket of pop had returned. A lot has happened since Sabrina Carpenter declared herself short and sweet and, with her usual wink nudge candour, these two words seem […]
The Good Ones              Rwanda Sings With Strings     Rwandan folk duo whose record combines their signature earthy vocals and acoustic instrumentation (guitar and hand percussion) with atmospheric cello and violin arrangements, creating a soundscape that vividly brings to life their powerful stories of resilience, memory, and longing. Ambarchi, Berthling and Werliin          Ghosted III        Alongside the eternal […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 29 AUGUST 2025