A self-titled release typically becomes something of a statement by a band or artist, a proclamation that "this here is who we are", especially so when made several albums deep into a multi-decade long career. So what can we learn from Alter Bridge's eponymous release? very little we didn't already know about them: they like rock and metal; riffs and solos; wailing guitars and vocals; lyrics that are uplifting and mildly rebellious, though often vague enough to not really ... read more

At the best of times Rose Main Reading Room is a synergetic symposium of 00s Sufjan Stevens and Stereolab. That impossible mixture of repetition, orchestration, simplicity and complexity intertwined and drawn out into a dream. At its worst, it's a series of indie pop vignettes, shuffling along plaintively. The band seem to be at their most interesting in the middle of instrumental passages, spooling thread of melody and harmony into a tapestry of time, yet whenever they open space for ... read more

At this point I'm almost certain Ichiko Aoba is some kind of fairy princess. Annoyed we aren't recognising her as such, she has begun releasing albums of music she'd play before Oberon and Titania

Back in 2020 Aoba snared me in her soundtrack to an imaginary film, Windswept Adan. Four years later, indifferent to my plight, she continues to keep me trapped in dreams of the undersea with Luminescent Creatures, named for the alternate title to the final song on Windswept Adan. ... read more

One of the great joys of music discovery is coming across the likes of the lesser known genius. The artist who was not properly appreciated in their own time, but with plenty of hindsight, and not a small amount of help from the bottomless well that is the internet, we can find the gold in the hills, the needle in the haystack.

Possibly the best known case is Nick Drake. A singer-songwriter and guitarist, whose three records and short-lived life are celebrated far more nowadays than in the ... read more

Any new music from any part of Portishead is a gift

Especially since it's been so long since Beth Gibbons herself was involved in anything. The last Portishead album was Third in 08 and Gibbons' side project Out of Season, done in collaboration with Talk Talk bassist, Rustin Man (Paul Webb), came out in 02. Lives Outgrown follows on from Out of Season, which is filled with gentle Folk songs, that allowed Gibbons to show off more of her Vocal Jazz influences. It makes me think of Billie ... read more

Elbow's recent albums have become something of a barometer for British opinion, at least the reasonable side

Since getting married and even more so after becoming a father, singer Guy Garvey's lyrics have taken on a less introspective tint, at least when compared to Elbow's earlier work. The way of the world has become more and more important to him and is clearly reflected in his lyrics from Little Fictions onwards. On that album, presumably a little giddy on the high of new love, he takes up ... read more

Easily my most anticipated album for the year

I've had a bad habit in the past when talking/writing about Everything Everything in which I focus heavily on the lyrics and not enough on the music. The intricate, heady concepts and almost surreal lyricism are absolutely a draw for me and many other fans, but I haven't done enough to point out just how catchy and fun the music is, song by song, album by album. They rarely, if ever, make something boring.

These concepts range from the political ... read more

IDLES continue to represent something that often feels missing in rougher edges of Rock music: authenticity, sincerity and care

A quick intro for those who haven't checked out IDLES before: Forming in 2009, the band slowly pulled themselves together, finding their sound over the course of a few half-decent EPs and a couple line-up changes and finally dropping their noisy and blunt debut, Brutalism, in 2017. Post-Punk and Post Hardcore would be their main sound for three albums, but their ... read more

Another project where I'm finding it hard to collect my thoughts. The music has this unusual hypnotic effect that stops the words in my head from reaching my hands. I bet we could use this as a form of torture to make people braindead enough to give out secrets.

Because it's just 24 minutes long I genuinely thought I'd come to the end only to find out I'd only listened to 6 songs and had another "24" minutes to go. I'm trying to work out if the production actually changes at all or ... read more

There's something about Gothic Country that scratches a particular itch that neither Goth Rock nor Country music even come closer to doing

Thanks to @DoubleZ for the recommendation! I've been a fan of 16 Horsepower for a little while now and was kind of disappointed that I couldn't find anything that really lived up to what they had been doing from the mid 90s to early 00s. During this time Jay Munly was working on a similar sound under his own name and releasing four albums in the same ... read more

There are only so many ways you can be bad at something, but against all odds Lil Dicky has managed to do it all

There aren't many pieces of music that actually make me feel ill. I generally don't go out of my way to find bad music, it just seems like some self-fulfilling prophecy of pain and disappointment where I inevitably end up feeling worse than when I went into the project. Either it's as bad as it is and I feel like crap listening to it, or it's not as bad and I wasted my time on ... read more

The title track to Javelin paints a moment of deep fear. Most of us might associate javelins with the Olympics and sport, but they were originally, and still are, weapons designed to hurt and kill. In a brief few seconds the javelin that Sufjan threw nearly hit his partner and flashed in front of his eyes all the pain, loss and grief he would feel should it have actually hit. It's a short piece about the fragility of life and that to love someone is to understand that one day you may be without ... read more

The biggest question this album leaves me with is: Why?

It doesn't matter if your favourite Pink Floyd album is from the Syd Barrett era like Piper at the Gates of Dawn, is a long-form socio-political concept record like Animals or The Wall, or is an inward look at the effects of fame on a close friend like Wish You Were Here (my personal favourite). Everyone recognises the classic status of Dark Side of the Moon. A seminal piece of music that drew you in with strong melodies, beautiful chord ... read more

I wish I could be more eloquent in my description of just how bad this is, but I think if I actually tried I wouldn't be able to get across how mind-numbingly dull and outdated it is.

It kind of sounds like Justin Bieber singing for a less interesting Imagine Dragons, but also his vocals are covered in a really bad vocoder effect.

It's kind of impressive how generic every instrument sounds, I don't think I've ever heard a guitar that sounds like it was designed in a boardroom before. And the ... read more

With Sundial the biggest question I'm left with is: Can the phrase "One bad apple spoils the bunch" apply to music?

To put it more bluntly: Does one bad song spoil an album? You'd think the answer would simply be "No, I can just skip any song I don't like", but albums are often a curated experience. You're supposed to listen to each track in the order set out by the artist so that whatever story or musical journey they've laid out before you can unfold and blossom as it's ... read more

The Black Eyed Dog

As the world feels like it’s caving in from so many different sides it’s important to remember to look after one another and ourselves. Depression has been placed into the spotlight more and more over recent years, the stigma of therapy and of taking antidepressants is slowly waning, but depression hasn’t suddenly been stopped in its tracks by these changes, people are still being diagnosed and still suffering every day.

Part of looking after yourself is ... read more

The sound of man, throwing up the last remnants of a devoured god.

Equal parts beautiful atmosphere and discordant nightmare. For almost 5 hours Roland Kayn sucks all understanding of the outside world away and allows you to bask in some of the rawest and most primal emotions possible. Tektra is a confounding mess, just like its cover art. A collection of simple ideas stacked on top of each other so high you can no longer see the bottom past the Jenga like lattice that has formed under your ... read more

It's always extraordinary when a debut can feel as full and as fleshed out as this does

Kara Jackson has seemingly come out of nowhere. With an EP 4 years ago and a few singles leading up this album, I'm genuinely surprised that more attention hadn't been thrown her way before now. Especially given the strength of a couple of those singles.

Either way Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? is a brilliant introduction to Jackson's style of Country tinged Folk. Just over 50 minutes of ... read more

Hozier has always been at his best when he harkens back to roots of his influences, typically stuff from at least 50 years ago. The R&B of Jackie Wilson, the Soul of Nina Simone and Mavis Staples (who featured on Wasteland, Baby!), as well as the Country and Folk of Johnny Cash and Woody Guthrie.

Sadly there is little of these roots present. Instead the EP is made of 3 tracks that lean towards the Pop sheen of his last record, namely the more lacklustre sections, rather than Nina Cried ... read more

A disgustingly inward look at what is going on in Richard Dawson's mind.

There's always some new tragedy waiting to strike, just hiding round the corner. We see new ones each day on the news and in our safe homes, behind our screens we often forget the tangible hurt that is caused every single time. Nothing Important remembers. It remembers fathers and uncles and grandads. Brothers and mothers and those that are barely even with us. It sees old memories, once painted in beautiful hues, now ... read more