It’s easy to become jaded when listening to new bands, and to focus too much on the search for some breathtakingly original new sound, only to be disappointed when what you hear doesn’t correspond to some vague, totally subjective ideal.…
Category: Reviews
Album | Daisy Chapman – Shameless Winter
As the last of the snow melt from the recent cold snap washes down the rivers and out to sea, Daisy Chapman’s Shameless Winter comes along to leave your world white over once more. Written while on tour last, er,…
Album | Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse
Frightened Rabbit have set their sights on achieving household status with fourth album Pedestrian Verse. Known by those who keenly follow the rock genre, but overlooked by those with a more passive approach, the five-piece are muscling their way onto…
Album | Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound of God
Jim James, best known as the lead singer of My Morning Jacket, and whose only solo efforts were some beautiful stripped down lo-fi George Harrison covers under the moniker of Yim Yames has finally unveiled his first solo album. Opening…
Album | Fionn Regan – The Bunkhouse Vol. 1: Anchor Black Tattoo
Fionn Regan is a man who does not like his music being pigeon-holed. Fans who enjoyed the folk flavours of debut The End of History would have been surprised by the rock and roll of follow-up The Shadow of an…
Album | Local Natives – Hummingbird
Hummingbird is a decided and polished move away from the sparser folk-pop of Local Natives’ 2009 debut Gorilla Manor. They always leaned toward indie, but this second album is more assured, more concentrated. Some of the influences and comparisons are…
Album | Mary Dillon – North
After many years as a member of Deanta, and guest appearances on most of sister Cara’s albums, Mary Dillon’s return from hiatus with her debut solo album has attracted no little attention. Following 2010’s Army Dreamers EP of covers, featuring…
Album | Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – We The Common
You wouldn’t guess from the uplifting, rhythmic hook of this album’s title track ‘We The Common (For Valerie Bolden)’ that it has sombre roots: Valerie Bolden is serving a life sentence in California State Prison, and Thao Nguyen met her…
Album | Ron Sexsmith – Forever Endeavour
Forever Endeavour is the thirteenth album from a man now in his fiftieth year. It is a collection of songs that in some ways seems as comfortingly familiar as the tousled mop in the picture on the cover. The velvety…
Album | I Am Kloot – Let It All In
Having achieved their greatest commercial success to date – not to mention a Mercury Prize nomination – with fifth album Sky At Night, I Am Kloot understandably do not stray too far from that formula on their sixth. Recorded once…