"And the sun sets the scene, while the rain misses me
And all the time I'll be growing, growing up beside you."

My grandparents would play this CD all the time, whether it be on car trips or as they tend their garden, and it became the sound of innocence, childhood and escapism. It holds up today, with Nutini's vocals as captivating as ever. The simplicity of folk blending with a healthy dose of eccentrics make for a memorable listen.

Favourites: Coming Up Easy, Growing Up ... read more

Another great round-up of strays and b-sides, good variety here.

Favourites: Curse Your Fail, Golden Facelift
Least favourites: Stars And Spit

Great round-up of strays and b-sides.

Favourites: Backyards
Least favourites: N/A

"It's okay, I've got the cemetery goal beauty can't console"

A sweet collection of interim music between band eras. "Boyfriends" and "1972" are the standouts, and while Volume 1 is definitely the better selection, "Can't Find My Heart" is a great track. Nothing too special here, but more BSS is never a bad thing.

Volume 1 = 84/100
Volume 2 = 74/100

Favourites: Boyfriends, 1972, Cant Find My Heart
Least favourites: Big Couches

"Survival by the soundtrack made of our short lives"

In somewhat of a return to form, BSS mixed beautifully their earlier signature sound with the brief pop tenure of "Forgiveness Rock Record", resulting in a more consistent and cohesive project altogether. The dreamy soundscape almost takes your mind captive, the production is incredible. "Gonna Get Better" is criminally underrated, a very pretty deep cut. "Skyline" is the only track here that falls ... read more

"And all the destroyers that never wore dresses, they live for the older, well, I'll confess this:"

The closest BSS came to pop, for better or for worse. The first half is stellar, with the more standardised direction being infused with incredible melody and rhythm that elevate it beyond generic. One of their best intro tracks, too. The second half is unfortunately far less memorable, but it's never outright bad or boring, there's always something happening, something ... read more

An intimate and relaxing, mostly ambient experience, a very timid beginning for the Social Scene. "Guilty Cubicles" is so tender and soft, I love it with all my heart. It has some strange cuts that do throw off the general vibe, but even then it somehow works. This is a great prelude to the band, and functions incredibly well on its own terms.

Favourites: Guilty Cublicle, I Slept, Alive in '85
Least favourites: Prison Province

"I think I need to leave this town, before I go down"

Similar to his previous effort, he veers even further from what attracted me to his music in the beginning. Of course, artists grow and evolve, but the album lacks the aspect of angst I seek in his music, with the exception of "Wild Long Lie" and "TV Dinner", which are my favourites by a mile. The music is well crafted and well written, but it doesn't entangle itself with me, it simply sounds relatively ... read more

"And those dead boys are always there, there's more every year"

The "heavier" tracks here are my highlights, there are some moments that don't provide much of an impact, such as getting started audibly reiterating a little too much of what the title track managed. Still, it contains some of Fenders best emotional hitters in "Spit Of You" and "Last To Make It Home", and serves as a cohesive album altogether.

The bonus selection is better than ... read more

"Heard you glassed a boy back in the borders, some naughty family boys are after you"

This is Sam Fender to me, the amateur yet viscerally emotional, the anthemic yet personal. The title track and "The Borders" are an absurd intro to someone's debut album. Almost a herald of the times leading up to the new decade, a defining sound of desperation and will, of determination.

Favourites: Hypersonic Missiles, The Borders, Play God
Least Favourites: N/A

"Friday hyenas laughing and wheezing, smoking the cheapest brand"

Sam has a tendency to leave his best songs off his albums, this is another one of those. Absolutely dripping with nostalgia. This is what it's all about.

"The dirty haze you trace with cannonball eyes in a club you despise, but you go where all your friends are"

There is actual cocaine laced in this song. Easily Sam's best, and one of my personal favourites of all time. Such vivid writing and passionate instrumentation, unbelievable that this was left off his debut.

"How am I supposed to change it, if I can’t see the wood for the trees?"

Fenders first release features some of his best work to date, with "Poundshop Kardashians" and "Dead Boys" being staples of my adolescence. Really adore the gritty side of him, hoping he leans back into his roots in the future.

Favourites: Dead Boys, Poundshop Kardashians, Spice
Least favourites: N/A

"There's a part of me that wants to wake up in Tallahassee"

Just incredibly solid, striking a balance between math-rock, emo and pop that I've not seen executed as well anywhere else. Goodwyne is a fantastic song writer and vocalist, Anaya is a spectacular guitarist, the entire band in fact operate on a simply different plain. A killer live show, too. Excited for the future of these guys.

Favourites: Bad Bruise, Sorry Not Sorry, Dani
Least favourites: N/A

Completely encapsulates the feeling of outer space. I love the use of silence and deep bass. “An Ending (Ascent)” is one of my favourite instrumental pieces of all time. Such a peaceful release amidst the dark, before being plunged back into an alien jungle. A beautiful, otherworldly album.

Favourites: An Ending (Ascent), Silver Morning, Weightless
Least favourites: N/A

"It's warmer now, lean into it, unfold"

Never has an album so arctic felt so intimate. Björk is otherworldly, her voice one of the best of all time, and in this almost barren winter it really gets a chance to shine. It feels almost invasive to listen to the sensuality present in this project, it feels so thinly veiled, barely covering a realm just outwith grasp. Possibly the best demonstration of minimalism in pop music to date.

Favourites: It's Not Up to You, Pagan ... read more

"Day of Judgment, God is calling, on their knees, the war pigs crawling"

How incredible it is to not only invent a genre, but to nail it on the very first try. A classic in every sense of the word, extraordinarily influential.

Favourites: War Pigs, Paranoid, Electric Funeral
Least Favourites: N/A

"Hey, Kool Thing, come here, sit down beside me, there's something I got to ask you"

My introduction to Sonic Youth. Near enough redefined what my brain understood music could be. Energy erupts from every seam of this thing, it blends raw noise into melody in ways I didn't think was even possible. The sheer brazen attitude reels you into a web of arrangements and techniques that teeter the edge of listenable in a way that's completely exhilarating. Kim Gordon may well ... read more

"But hey, where have you been? If you go, I will surely die"

Doesn't require much explanation. This is the legendary bands peak, in my opinion. An influence that still echoes through indie today, Pixies single handedly invented the 90's about 8 months before the bells. Every track here surges with creativity and ingenuity, so many things that shouldn't work at all congeal effortlessly together. Kim Deal may be the coolest person ever. Incredibly formative album for my ... read more

"Distant echo repeating, setting sun"

Upsettingly short, this was my introduction to the band. It achieves so much with its criminally low runtime, constructing an extremely unique sound design and plunging you in with no warning. Its use of simplicity and quiet is impressively well done. This tastes of rainclouds. Always a wonderfully relaxing and reflective listen.

Favourites: Setting Sun, Dust, Predawn Visions
Least Favourites: N/A