ALBUM REVIEW – ANNA B SAVAGE: IN/FLUX

Confessional singer-songwriters face a quandary of how much to reveal, whether to go down the misery memoir route or strive too hard to convey a positive message. With ‘in/FLUX’, Anna B Savage gives herself an examination that sounds like the best ever episode of the old Radio 4 series ‘In the Psychiatrist’s Chair’ while accepts […]
With a title like ‘Kyiv Eternal’, there is no escaping the associations with what, for many in the West, is a distressing reminder of the precariousness of our comfortable modern life but which, for those remaining in Kyiv, must be a constant source of underlying tension. This tension is the main feeling that Heinali’s new […]

ALBUM REVIEW: HEINALI – KYIV ETERNAL

ALBUM REVIEW – THE GOLDEN DREGS: ON GRACE AND DIGNITY

High or low, voices that hit extremes are exhilarating. There is a thrill to vocals that soar stratospherically, such as Billy McKenzie or Roy Orbison, but there is a contrasting engagement with singing that appears to emerge from the soles of hobnail boots. One of my earliest musical memories was making ludicrous attempts at singing […]
As a fickle music fan easily transferring affection to the latest exciting new performer, it is easy to miss out on the joys of eagerly following an artist through their (at the risk of sounding like a ‘Strictly’ contestant) journey. Since hearing ‘Part Company’ in 1984, The Go-Betweens and subsequently Robert Forster’s solo career have […]

ALBUM REVIEW – ROBERT FORSTER: THE CANDLE AND THE FLAME

ALBUM REVIEW: JOHN CALE – MERCY

‘Mercy’ is the first new album in over ten years from the Welsh legend and former Velvet Underground member, however those expecting an album of rock n roll tunes, should know by now that Cale likes to look forwards, not backwards, living by his own musical expectations and no one else’s. It’s one of the […]
A hardcore band who sample 13th Floor Elevators, creating soundscapes which recall Loaded era Primal Scream, Dealing With Damage are redefining what you thought a hardcore band could sound like. Formed of members from hardcore, punk and indie bands Done Lying Down, Sink, K Line and Jerry Built, Dealing With Damage’s second album is packed […]

ALBUM REVIEW: DEALING WITH DAMAGE – USE THE DAYLIGHT

ALBUM REVIEW: THE GENTLE MEN – EVOLUTION OF TEARS

Here is one I missed, and maybe you did too?  Metal for a long time in my humble opinion has been slept upon for too long. People must have lost their sanity. Mainstream music right now is indie rock or the highway. Politely I’m fed up. Its irritating that there is no escape from this […]
– Arena, Manchester – There’s no two ways about it: this is the most thrilling arena show I’ve ever seen. It’s quite a grand statement to make, but what Matty Healy et al have constructed (and constructed is definitely the word) for the mega-tour in support of their latest album Being Funny in a Foreign […]
The 1975

LIVE: THE 1975 – 20/01/2023

ALBUM REVIEW – JOCKSTRAP: I LOVE YOU JENNIFER B

Preeminent exponents of the “thank goodness they don’t sound like their name” genre, Jockstrap somehow conjure a unique, distinctive sound out of a careening mishmash of genres, surprising the listener with their mischievous, often discomforting approach. They first came to attention with 2020’s ‘The City’ which set out as a fragile ballad before transforming into […]
The new album from Irish/Catalan singer Nuria Graham, ‘Cyclamen’, is rich in imaginary fables, premonitions and a heightened awareness of nature together with beguiling musical arrangements that mark a huge progression from her earlier releases.   ‘Procida’ bookends the album. The opening snippet begins with the intriguing line, “back in Prussia”, a harp plucked and plenty […]

ALBUM REVIEW – NURIA GRAHAM: CYCLAMEN