Album Reviews

Teeth Of The Sea – Hive

by David Murphy

The trio’s sixth album combines very different elements which tessellate like honeycomb



Sufjan Stevens – Javelin

by John Murphy

Continuing his prolific run, this magical, magnificent album is both blissfully sad and gloriously uplifting

New Order @ O2 Arena, London

by Steven Johnson

Manchester’s alternative big-hitters pull from various stages of their past to prove they’re still a formidable live force

Mae Muller – Sorry I’m Late

by John Murphy

The UK’s 2023 Eurovision entrant releases a debut album of perfectly constructed pop songs that feels very of the moment

PJ Harvey @ Roundhouse, London

by Steven Johnson

Acclaimed singer-songwriter balances the spectral and oblique sounds of her latest album with thrilling and primal selections from her past

Molly Burch – Daydreamer

by John Murphy

Texas singer songwriter takes inspiration from teenage diaries to create an album of quality, emotive pop songs with lyrics that anyone can relate to

Animal Collective – Isn’t It Now?

by John Murphy

American experimentalists return with dreamy soundscapes, hypnotic rhythms and odd time shifts

Jorja Smith – Falling Or Flying

by John Murphy

British soul singer returns with a coherent second album, which sees her explore and develop her own sound

Kylie Minogue – Tension

by Ben Devlin

Good taste, charm, a deceptively versatile voice – the Australian singer’s fifteenth studio album has all these and more

Devendra Banhart – Flying Wig

by John Murphy

American-Venezuelan singer-songwriter’s collaboration with Cate Le Bon is a relaxing, low-key and downtempo affair, more mood piece than traditional album

John Metcalfe – Tree

by Steven Johnson

The twenty four hour life cycle of a tree is re-imagined through a contemporary classical lens with stunning results

Stephen Sanchez – Angel Face

by John Murphy

Nashville-based singer’s tasteful debut album shows off his extraordinary voice while occasionally sounding like it belongs in the 1950s

Teenage Fanclub – Nothing Lasts Forever

by Steven Johnson

Twelfth album from re-energised Scottish guitar melodicists sees them look forward with hope and positivity

Bonny Light Horseman & London Contemporary Orchestra @ Barbican, London

by Steven Johnson

The songs of the American alt-folk band receive sympathetic and embellishing orchestral treatment in a sublime show

Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We

by John Murphy

Feeling like something of a reset, the follow-up to Laurel Hell, like all the best albums, keeps you on edge, never quite knowing what’s coming next

Vagabon – Sorry I Haven’t Called

by Ben Devlin

Musically diverse and easy on the ear, the Cameroonian-American performer impresses with her breezy, appealing second album

Ash – Race The Night

by John Murphy

Northern Irish trio return with their eighth album of pacey, fuzzy guitar rock

Graham Nash @ Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London

by Steven Johnson

The former Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash man plays a career-spanning show that confirms his special, longstanding and universal appeal

Corinne Bailey Rae – Black Rainbows

by John Murphy

From psychedelic soul to raucous rock, this big, sprawling album bounces between genres and flies off in directions you’d never expect. It is the sound of an artist reborn

Codeine @ Garage, London

by Steven Johnson

American slowcore trio return for their first London date in over a decade, showing that their deliberately downplayed, subdued and introspective sounds still have a place in 2023

The Pretenders – Relentless

by John Murphy

The title of their 12th album is appropriate for the sound of a band constantly moving forward and refusing to submit to the dying of the light