Brian D'Addario - Till The Morning (Album Review)

Photo: Anastasia Sanchez Brian D'Addario is best known as half of The Lemon Twigs, the retro-fabulous indie-pop band who have delivered five stellar, eclectic albums since their debut ‘Do Hollywood’ arrived in 2016. Their sound, especially on their most recent LPs, is an infectious blend of late ‘60s psychedelia and Beach Boys melody and Brian’s ‘Till The Morning’ is cut from similar cloth.

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Thursday, 27 March 2025

Japanese Breakfast - For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) (Album Review)

Photo: Pak Bae Throughout Japanese Breakfast’s discography, Michelle Zauner has consistently offered listeners a portal into her inner world. Each album has functioned as a diary, where raw emotion is alchemised into intricate indie-rock explorations. ‘For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)’ continues this tradition, offering a deeply felt exploration of the dizzying heights of love, the sting of yearning, and the weight of sorrow.

Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Wednesday, 26 March 2025

The Horrors - Night Life (Album Review)

Photo: Sarah Piantadosi The Horrors have always been ones to stand out from the crowd. In the mid to late ‘00s, they brought a heap of cartoonish goth colour to an otherwise vanilla British indie scene, with 2009’s ‘Primary Colours’ scooping a Mercury nomination along the way. And they weren’t just a flash in the pan, either.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Greentea Peng - Tell Dem It's Sunny (Album Review)

Photo: William Spooner ‘Tell Dem It’s Sunny’ is an insight into the inner workings of an artist at the top of her game. Marking an evolution both in terms of sound and identity, here Greentea Peng exceeds even her own expectations by producing an inspiring album that manifests growth and perseverance to the tune of her renowned blend of psychedelia and R&B.

Written by: James Palaczky | Date: Monday, 24 March 2025

Courting - Lust for Life... (Album Review)

Photo: Charlie Barclay Harris You can’t argue with Courting’s lust for life. Beginning with the release of ‘Guitar Music’ in 2022, the Liverpudlian band have adopted the mantra of more is more. Their debut threw everything it had at the wall to see what would stick, while 2024’s ‘New Last Name’ saw them play dress-up as The 1975. Beneath its eye roll-inducing title ‘Lust for Life, Or: ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story’ is another sense-assaulting splurge of ideas.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Friday, 21 March 2025

Playboi Carti - Music (Album Review)

There are few things more testing than being a Playboi Carti fan. Throughout his career, the rapper has shown flashes of being truly brilliant, but his inconsistency and failure to stick to release dates has been equally frustrating. His third album ‘Music’ is one such example: initially named ‘Narcissist’ and slated for release in September 2021, it arrives following four years of name changes, broken promises and misdirection.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Thursday, 20 March 2025

Whatever The Weather - Whatever The Weather II (Album Review)

Photo: Darryl Daley A lot of abstract electronica can feel austere and cerebral, but Loraine James’ work is shifting that perception by infusing the genre with spectacular wells of feeling. Acute emotional intelligence was key to the success of her 2022 self-titled debut as Whatever The Weather, and its successor is similarly attuned.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Cleopatrick - Fake Moon (Album Review)

Photo: Ryan Faist Reining in the tempos and upping a sense of fuzz-fuelled lo-fi wonder, Cleopatrick’s ‘Fake Moon’ is less a reimagining of their sound and more a complete reinvention. A stark departure from the towering riffs and walls of noise that dominated their gritty 2021 debut ‘Bummer’, it finds guitarist-vocalist Luke Gruntz and drummer Ian Fraser continuing further down the rabbit hole they first stumbled into on the following year’s ‘Doom’ EP.

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Bob Mould - Here We Go Crazy (Album Review)

Photo: Ryan Bakerink Icon is an overused term, but when you’re talking about Bob Mould it fits. Having made some of the most ambitious hardcore records in history with Hüsker Dü before reinventing power-pop with Sugar in the ‘90s, he has inspired everyone from Metallica to Green Day.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Monday, 17 March 2025

Neil Young - Oceanside Countryside (Album Review)

Photo: Facebook With a catalogue as rich and extensive as Neil Young’s, ‘Oceanside Countryside’ feels like a time capsule that, for newer fans, opens up a fresh route into discovering  his work, offering different iterations of songs that have cropped up on various albums across several decades.

Written by: Nieve Elis | Date: Thursday, 13 March 2025

Lady Gaga - Mayhem (Album Review)

Photo: Frank LeBon Lady Gaga has been a superstar for almost two decades, but in the recent past the pendulum has swung wildly between extremes, with her iconic breakout records rubbing shoulders alongside collaborations with Tony Bennett and the much-maligned Folie à Deux soundtrack, which arrived tagged to a cinematic turkey of giant proportions.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 11 March 2025

Andy Bell - Pinball Wanderer (Album Review)

Photo: Perou Too often in music criticism ‘interesting’ is used as a synonym for ‘bad’ but not so in the case of Andy Bell’s ‘Pinball Wanderer’, which is a hugely diverse and genuinely interesting record from the consistently busy shoegaze pioneer.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Monday, 10 March 2025

Divorce - Drive to Goldenhammer (Album Review)

Photo: Flower Up & Rosie Sco Since first making a splash in 2021, Divorce have been steadily amassing buzz thanks to their blend of alt-country, indie-folk and more besides. The Nottingham band’s debut album ‘Drive to Goldenhammer’ offers a glimpse into the future with the arrival of a fresh, vibrant voice.

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Monday, 10 March 2025

Banks - Off With Her Head (Album Review)

Photo: Charlie Denis It’s been a decade since Banks arrived with ‘Goddess’ and in the years since, the Angeleno songwriter has reinvented herself over and over again, constantly shifting with the tides of time and taste. So it is once again with ‘Off With Her Head’, an album all about bypassing thought and going with your heart.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Friday, 07 March 2025

Architects - The Sky, The Earth & All Between (Album Review)

Photo: Ed Mason Alongside Bring Me The Horizon and Enter Shikari, Architects have long held a position at the very top of the UK metal scene. From their churning metalcore beginnings through to their progressive, pop-leaning present, they have kept things fresh and heavy for more than two decades now.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Friday, 07 March 2025

Rebecca Black - Salvation (Album Review)

If 2023’s ‘Let Her Burn’ found Rebecca Black starting to cast off the long shadow cast by her proto-viral hit Friday, ‘Salvation’ is a no-holds-barred emergence as a major player in forward-thinking modern pop. In following up her debut album, she focuses on hyperpop and EDM to create a cohesive and extremely entertaining record that indicates a fearless approach to exploring what her art can be. 

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Thursday, 06 March 2025

Mdou Moctar - Tears of Injustice (Album Review)

Photo: Nelson Espinal A year on from the release of ‘Funeral for Justice’, a record that might be remembered as his masterpiece, Nigerien guitarist and bandleader Mdou Moctar is back with an acoustic take on the very same material.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Wednesday, 05 March 2025

LISA - Alter Ego (Album Review)

Photo: Wontae Go LISA has perhaps always been someone who just needed the right push to become one of the world’s biggest stars. BLACKPINK’s 2016 formation put her on the path towards that level, but it was the chance for all four members to take time out and focus on their own music that’s given her the opportunity to drill down into what the next step might look like.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 04 March 2025

Doves - Constellations For The Lonely (Album Review)

Doves have been at the vanguard of British indie since the release of 2000’s ‘Lost Souls’ but more than two decades later they are still a band driven by a desire to push forward and innovate. Emerging from the ashes of dance act Sub Sub, their moody, atmospheric brand of alternative-rock has captured legions of fans and ‘Constellations For The Lonely’, their first LP in five years and only their second since 2009, is a fine reward for their patience.

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Monday, 03 March 2025

Tate McRae - So Close to What (Album Review)

Photo: Charlie Denis ‘So Close to What’ is a reflective record. Having broken out musically at just 14 with the viral hit One Day, Tate McRae’s journey has been rapid but remarkably reflective. On 2024’s ‘Think Later’ she delivered a vivid exploration of young womanhood, complete with its attendant themes of self-discovery and resilience, but with ‘So Close to What’ she revisits the challenges of growing up.

Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Friday, 28 February 2025