Category: Reviews

Album | Midlake – For The Sake of Bethel Woods

We all know the old saying “never judge a book by its cover” but does the same extend to albums? A lot of us play music these days through streaming services and probably don’t pay too much attention to album…

Album | Jerry Leger – Nothing Pressing

Jerry Leger knows how to write a song, and the 11 on Nothing Pressing clearly illustrate a man with a sense of humor, a sense of taste and a sense of just how weird the last two years have been. Though recorded…

Single | I Said Yes – Virginia

Oracular UK folksters, I Said Yes, have returned. Their all-new single, ‘Virginia’, is an earnest love song that builds up its tensities with percolative guitar and textured production. It all leads into a fabulous crescendo, replete with subtle horns, synth,…

Album | Hurray for the Riff Raff – Life on Earth

2022 promises to bring a host of new beginnings as the world emerges from two years under the pandemic’s thumb. The world is a very different place from the one that was present last time Alynda Segarra’s band Hurray for…

Album | Lia Ices – Family Album

In the same way that Joni Mitchell reflected the California vibe on Blue, Lia Ices mirrors a similar consciousness on Family Album 50-some years farther down the road. Her 2014 album, Ices, marched to a synthetic beat with layered electronics and loops. Having moved…

Video Premiere | Jessica Smucker – Stones to Throw

Jessica Smucker beautifully captures feelings of isolation on the delicately crafted tune, ‘Stones to Throw’. A folk-pop ballad, the Lancaster artist flexes her muscles as a singer-songwriter with music that feels like it’s just enough. Production is never overbearing; if…

Album | Megan Henderson – Pilgrim Souls

It’s been more than two years since Megan Henderson wrote the music for her debut album – Pilgrim Souls – and I’m pleased to report that it’s been worth the wait. The inspiration comes from the dreamlike imagined landscapes of…

EP | Josienne Clarke – I Promised You Light

In August last year, Josienne Clarke emerged from the fog that she had lived in for over a decade. In her fight to be recognised for work that she’d written, she’d been labelled a troublemaker. Instead of allowing this to…

Album | Simone Felice – All The Bright Coins

You have to play the hand you’re dealt, and Simone Felice has played his cards despite a life that hasn’t always been the way he’d have wanted it, which is what makes All The Bright Coins so fascinating. Having spent the last…

Album | Aoife O’Donovan – Age of Apathy

Aoife O’Donovan can surprise you, as she does on Age of Apathy. For a singer who often uses quiet rather than trying to bowl you over with the strength of her voice, some of her thoughts can be a bit disconcerting.…