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…
Album | Veronica Falls – Waiting For Something To Happen
It’s only been just over a year since Veronica Falls released their infectious and delightful self-titled debut but nonetheless they’ve been quick to record a follow-up. Waiting For Something To Happen, on the surface, keeps hold of the same aesthetic…