Arriving a little less than 12 months after their debut record in 2014, Ultimate Painting, made up of James Hoare from indie band Veronica Falls and Jack Cooper from Mazes, have unleashed another set of Velvet Underground-aping tracks into the…
I listen to Lovers Know with some anticipation. The Mynabirds’ last album, Generals, was one of my favourites in recent years, from the punch of the title track to the hopeful ‘Body of Work’. It is fiercely original while also being tuneful, melodic, danceable; so I’m surprised to read, in the PR material…
Another year, another Mac DeMarco record. Arriving just 12 months after 2014’s Salad Days, Another One sees DeMarco exploring love and romance, setting his lyrics to a wonderfully chilled out musical backdrop. If DeMarco was to be compared to another…
With Etch and Etch Deep, Haiku Salut have returned with a second album of bright and quirky instrumental pop which expands on their previous work with confidence and execution. There may not be any vocals within ear shot, but it…
It has been six long years since Elvis Perkins released his second album Elvis Perkins in Dearland and clearly a lot has changed for the Los Angeles-raised singer-songwriter. His 2009 release suggested a man looking to expand rather than streamline…
First things first – Under Branch & Thorn & Tree is a very good record, nay, it is an extremely good record. Transcending the ‘folk’ tag attached to her following the release of her eponymous debut, Samantha Crain has produced…
I’ll admit, I was late to the party with Jason Isbell. Since he departed the Drive-By Truckers in 2006, and went sober 7 years after, he’s led a widely successful solo career, but I didn’t come across him until his…
After her longing debut, Songs to the Ravens, and follow-up Orangefarben, about young love and broken-heartedness, Julie Ann Baenziger’s Build A Boat To The Sun feels mature, healed or at least healing. Opening song ‘Test Yourself’ is incredibly Californian, all surf, sun, ambient washes and the…
Heather Woods Broderick is breaking out. One of Laura Gibson and Sharon Van Etten’s backing band members, as well as a past member of Efterklang, it makes sense to finally be listening to her first full album, moving out of…
Emily Portman is, without a doubt, one of the world’s most magical contributors to the folk scene, and is also arguably England’s strongest in the industry by a wide margin. Embracing traditional sounds and themes with open arms, she innovates…