Dave Beech
Of course, though there are moments when UK Grim feels more three-dimensional than previous records. It’s still very much a Sleaford Mods record, and as such will do little to sway anyone who isn’t already a fan of the band.
3y
‘Sweet Tooth’ is a bold step in a new direction that will feel a little too familiar to those of us somewhat long in the tooth, but is otherwise an upbeat offering from a band proving they’re not just one trick ponies.
4y
With such a degree of differing aesthetics on offer, some might assume ‘Liminal’ to be a record that feels disjointed, instead what it does do is confirm Ġenn to be both versatile and multi-faceted, and still managing to have a whole lot of fun.
5y
With Honeymoon Beach Bunny established themselves as both critical darlings and a force to be reckoned with. Blame Game takes everything that made that record so irresistible and amps it up.
5y
This Place Sucks Ass is both uplifting and cathartic, reminding us that however shit things might get, we are all going through this together, and even though this place might well suck ass, one things for certain in that PUP absolutely do not.
5y
In Sickness and In Flames is a bold, brash album that paradoxically deals with anxiety and vulnerability in a way that feels fresh.
5y
Pensylvainia punks The Menzingers return with sixth album Hello Exile, proving once and for all why they’re one of the most important bands of our generation.
6y
A record both charming and bold, the dichotomy of upbeat indie-pop and brutally honest lyricism only adds to its appeal.
7y
Anyone who has spent any time with ambient music knows that it’s all about the textures, and the images they conjure and the feelings they evoke. And Listening to Pictures is if nothing else, an exploration of said textures.
8y
This is Dashboard Confessional in 2018: still as charming, still as cathartic and ultimately every bit the record you want it to be.
8y
For all its best intentions, ‘Man of the Woods’ often feels rushed, occasionally underproduced and at times, unfinished. Lacking the effortless polish of previous releases, it troughs more than peaks and ends up floundering in its own ambition.
8y
‘Could It Be Different?’ is arguably already one of the most important albums of 2018, despite coming just four weeks in. Accessible and utterly irresistible, its messages of optimism and of equality couldn’t have come at a more salient time, providing a voice to those that feel marginalised, and doing so with a smile and a raised middle finger. An early contender for album of the year.
8y
Despite self-doubt playing such a prevalent part, ‘Try Not to Freak Out’, is a bold, confident record that doesn’t shy from occasional moments of tenderness.
8y
This time, that heart feels bolder, more ballsy, as if the two years since ‘Ivy Tripp’ have seen Crutchfield put up with too much shit, and this is her making a stand.
8y
Blending the brash with the heartfelt is something The Smith Street Band have always succeeded in doing. Here they take that to the next level, deftly executing a record that’s as bombastic as we’ve come to expect from the band, and isn’t afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve.
9y
Although coming quickly off the back of their debut might give people a cause for concern, the conviction with which it’s delivered should put to bed any negative preconceptions. An absolutely vital record.
9y
Both a love letter to the band’s home state and the experiences it afforded them, and a love letter to life itself, California is a record steeped in vigour and vitality.
3y
There’s no one set narrative that runs through the core of Eyes on the Lines, it’s a record comprised of much shorter stories taken from a much larger, more unpredictable narrative: life.
9y
Certainly a step in a more mature direction for Mutual Benefit, ‘Skip A Sinking Stone’ is a darker and more considered effort than its predecessor.
10y
The comparisons to The Cure and Cocteau Twins will surely come in their droves. But 'Ullages' is not a nostalgic album. Quite the opposite. It's a record with its eyes firmly to the future; the future of the band, and the future of the city that spawned them.
10y
Though it may have lost some of the urgency of their debut, Before a Million Universes has allowed the band to develop a level of genuine introspection rarely seen in the hardcore of today.
10y
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