Back catalogue: All genres

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


2022's stunning album Once Twice Melody was a fine example of Beach House doing what they do best - living bang up to that name, with intimate-but epic instrumentation falling somewhere between surf-y jangle and grand shoegaze. 'Become' is definitely on a similar tip, and as such feels much like an extension of the long form.
Dig a little deeper, though, and scratches begin to show. While the full-length record represented Beach House reaching for the stars, or at least the moon, and stepping into the role of festival headliners, here the sense of pure confidence and occasion is less pronounced. That may not be a bad thing, mind, because while Once came across like a finished article, refined and prepared, things here seem somehow rawer, as though we're sitting in on a session as oppose to getting the signed off product.

Review: Given the amount of energy he's put into his "Tim's Twitter Party" online listening events this year, it's perhaps surprising that Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess has found time to record new music. Ascent of the Ascended, his new EP, follows on from May's well-received solo album, I Love The New Sky, and lands on orange translucent vinyl. Fans will find plenty to cheer, including two songs recorded with, and produced by, Charles Heywood: the effervescent title track and 'Yours To Be', a deliciously jangling, life-affirming affair built around multi-tracked acoustic guitars, soft-touch percussion and lilting horn lines. The set's four other tracks, including a rather lovely new version of Charlatans classic 'The Only One I Know', were recorded "in session" during a Paste Magazine event in New York.

Review: In the aftermath of the Brexit vote the question on many people's minds is 'what's going to happen'...well an answer for some, at least, was a new BC Camplight album, fittingly named, Deportation Blues. Recording in Liverpool's Whitewood studios, Brian Christinzio is said to have locked himself in a windowless studio and recorded all songs almost exclusively in the dark. With title track Deportation Blues its most illuminating result, the album overall is a more electrified opus, musically speaking, than his previous long players How To Die In The North and Blink Of A Nihilist. Featuring Luke Barton on guitars and synth, alongside guitarist Tom Rothery and multi-instrumentalist/ backing singer Ali Bell, BC Camplight lights it up again.

Review: Genuine honesty is pretty rare in music today - even when artists claim to bare their soul it's often calculated. For Brian Christinzio, AKA BC Camplight, though, nothing could be further from the truth. His work is aurally exploratory and adventurous, and he makes no secret of real feelings, even if those feelings risk making the audience feel a little uncomfortable. Take the intro to 'Ghosthunting' here - the man in question delivers a pseudo-standup route discussing his mental health issues. It makes how enjoyable the track is, and the album overall, somewhat jarring. This is clearly a work of some personal struggle. Nevertheless, enjoy we must as it's pretty near perfect. Beautiful electronica, dark synth wave stuff, and commanding, No.1-friendly pop with real bite. Overlook at your peril.

Review: When Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess dropped 'Empathy For The Devil' back in February it burst onto playlists like the scorching sunshine it sounds like. A jaunty, carefree slice of summer pop, complete with proclamations of "What will be will be", it marked the return of a Britpop hero who is one of the era's most talented, likeable and consistent - his work after those heady days has remained highly original and varied. Those looking for more of the same on this, his fourth solo album, will be pleased to know it's hardly lacking in good vibes. 'Sweetheart Mercury' follows the aforementioned single and album opener, and it's equally sublime and bouncy. In fact, anyone looking for something subdued must wait for 'Undertow' and its piano and vocal build, which is still a track of strength rather than vulnerability. Packing a powerful punch while never failing to explore new ideas, it's exquisite, timeless and essential.