Rob Sharples, the man behind Four Quartets, is a man who delights in his musical material and indulges technical proficiency; his debut, Paragon of Animals, is a fourteen-track rumble through ever-entwining major and minor chords and impressively warm vocal harmonies…
Category: Reviews
Singles review: Benjamin Francis Leftwich; The Epstein; Just Handshakes (We’re British); Melodica, Melody + Me
Benjamin Francis Leftwich – Pictures EP (Dirty Hit) Pictures is Benjamin Francis Leftwich’s second EP and it is more of everything that was good about last year’s A Million Miles Out EP. Again it is Leftwich’s voice, ethereal and airy…
Album: King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
King Creosote says he might never put another record out in a physical form. His last few albums have been released in many an unconventional format, from those available to buy at gigs only, to one only available to record…
Album: The Wailin’ Jennys – Bright Morning Star
The Wailin Jennys’ Bright Morning Star is of the utmost quality, but requires a little time to take root in one’s mind. The harmonies are perfect, the dynamics are truly moving, and every track thoughtfully arranged. This being said, it…
Album: Nicole Atkins – Mondo Amore
Nicole Atkins has one of the most incredible voices of any artist recording right now. She channels the spirit of Judy Garland, Roy Orbison and Edith Piaf. Her haunting tones were central to the sweeping, cinematic tracks of 2007 debut…
Live: Jesca Hoop @ Leeds Cockpit – 21/03/2011
In a cramped, sweaty bunker of a venue, Jesca Hoop is serenity itself, charming an attentive Leeds crowd with a hypnotic set of her eclectic but distinctive melodies. The little arched attic at the top of the Cockpit ought to…
Album: Timber Timbre – Creep On Creepin’ On
The concept of “genre fiction” or the “genre movie” is never one that’s stretched into the musical realm. Music is dealt with in terms of genres, but the idea of a band belonging to “genre music”, a set of recognisable,…
Album: The Crookes – Chasing After Ghosts
The first point of note here is that this is not, by any measure, a folk album. The second is that it is extremely enjoyable. Formed in Sheffield in 2008 and signed to Fierce Panda – who, put simply, very…
Album: Erland & The Carnival – Nightingale
Having enjoyed success as a rank-and-file member of The Verve, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad and The Queen, Simon Tong is surely one of the biggest-selling guitarists you’d struggle to pick out of a line-up. His latest collaboration with…
Album: William Fitzsimmons – Gold In The Shadow
Before listening to the album, I’d heard word that Gold in the Shadow is the most optimistic of William Fitzsimmons’ releases so far. Everything is relative of course, and bearing that in mind I’m inclined to agree. The title immediately…