Review: Recorded during the final year of her life, this posthumous release finds Marianne Faithfull looking both backwards and forwards - reconciling the weight of legacy with the intimacy of reflection. Across these four new tracks, she honours the dual foundations of her 60-year career: chamber pop and traditional British folk. 'Burning Moonlight', co-produced with long-time collaborator Head, echoes the melancholic grandeur of 'As Tears Go By', while 'Love Is (Head version)', written with her grandson Oscar Dunbar, floats with tender defiance. The flip side turns to lineage and tradition: 'Three Kinsmen Bold' is stark and ancestral, passed down from her father and 'She Moved Thru' The Fair' is sparse, aching, and spectral. Faithfull was born in Hampstead and came of age in 60s London, and here, on what is now her final release, she returns to the very start - not out of nostalgia, but with grace and resolve. It's the completion of a circle, yes, but it still leaves a faint line trailing off into the air.
Review: Applying what we're all thinking in February 2021 to a kind of Netflix & Chill parody, Fickle Friends are definitely the most thematically fitting band of the month. The Brighton outfit join a long and esteemed list of British pop groups that manage to marry scathing, sarcasm, and bare-boned honesty with sweetness, beauty and universality. Providing you like those keyboards with a No.1-style glitter coating, of course.
Opening on biggest of the lot, 'What A Time', the troupe opt to get the most inescapably positive out of the way first before rolling out real variety. '92' is an icy cool, emotionally scarred (or scarring?) ballad, 'Million' is a stepping, rave-rock workout, with 'IRL' apparently made for sunnier times than the current UK winter, and finale 'Finish Line' closing out on a calming and uplifting tone that's not a million miles away from what some would describe as Balearic chill.
Review: Fleur is a firm favourite with fans and now teases the new upcoming album with a new 7" single that is going to resonate well with fans of acts like The Kinks, Holly Golightly and The Remains. The A-side, 'Nous Continuerons a Marcher Ensemble' kicks off with a sharp guitar riff and builds into a catchy, powerful chorus. The B-side, an exclusive to this 7", is 'Tu M'as Mise a Genoux' a fast-paced punk track driven by fuzz bass. Both of them are superb retro indie-pop bangers and have been penned by Mark ten Hoor of The Kryng, and he also recorded the backing tracks for this release.
Review: Emma Noble, the emerging soul singer from London, delivers a powerful performance on the girl group soul anthem 'Unstoppable'. Her second single, it's poised to become a next-gen floor-filler; catch us playing it on repeat, *in flagranti*, after it premiered on Craig Charles' BBC6 Soul Show in early 2025. 'Going Going Gone' backs it up on the B-side, as the first single from FPE's upcoming album Waves. Hearing rising Australian singer-songwriter and pop genius J Mahon on vocal duties, the track's catchy brass sections combine with J's androgynous soul vocals, and evokes the sounds of young Motown artists in the style's 60s adolescence.
Review: 51 years have now passed since Funkadelic dropped their first two albums, Funkadelic and Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow. The latter album's numerous highlights included 'Funky Dollar Bill', a flash-fried funk-rock masterpiece that's as bonkers as it is low-slung and floor friendly. This anniversary edition of the song, which was released as part of a double A-side single in 1971, combines the pioneering Detroit crew's original vocal version (side A), with a never-before-heard instrumental take from the original recording sessions (B). This is particularly revelatory, as it offers a chance to hear everything that was going on below George Clinton's singing - and trust us, that's a lot! It's genuinely refreshing to hear an alternate take on a such a fantastic funk-rock gem, so we'd recommend giving it a listen.
Review: Nelly Furtado has been making a notable comeback, and her latest single, 'Love Bites,' is an example of her enduring talent. Co-written with Tove Lo and SG Lewis, who also produced the track, this new release is a sultry dance anthem. Furtado explains that her return to music was inspired by the DJ community remixing her songs, reigniting her passion for creating danceable, escapist tunes. 'Love Bites' channels the vibrant energy of dance floors and live DJ sets, offering listeners an irresistible escape. The collaboration adds a contemporary edge, making this single a standout. Now available on 7" vinyl, 'Love Bites' is eager to embrace the joy and freedom of dance music once again while getting much play on the dancefloors.
(I Don't Want To Discuss It) You're My Girl (12:13)
Bad 'n' Ruin (5:45)
It's All Over Now (6:46)
Had Me A Real Good Time (6:56)
(I Know) I'm Losing You (6:51)
Richmond (2:59)
Bad 'n' Ruin (5:23)
Review: John Peel remains the most legendary broadcaster of his generation, and the very many special live shows he was part of with some of the era's most acclaimed artists are widely heralded by fans and critics alike. One of them came in 1971 when the Faces played five songs for a live radio concert that are, on this first section of broadcast material, combined with music from a couple of appearances on Top Of The Pops on the BBC. The set shows real variety with a big and hard cover of '(I Know) I'm Losing You' next to Ronnie Lane's solo acoustic version of 'Richmond'. This LP includes full sleeve notes and recording details.
Only Love Can Hurt Like This (Off The Cuff) (3:43)
It's The Not Knowing (Exposed version) (3:31)
Only Love Can Hurt Like This (feat Treddy Swims) (3:54)
Review: A gatefold curacao blue vinyl reissue marks this album's tenth anniversary, inviting fans to revisit her channelling 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s influences, from doo-wop to disco, with the Pharrell Williams-produced 'Can't Rely On You' leading the charge. The album's homage to bygone eras is evident and the execution does a brilliant job of capturing the spirit of its inspirations. Tracks like 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This' and 'Mouth to Mouth' highlight Faith's vocal prowess and occasional emotional depth. The album's more upbeat numbers, provide the energy needed to balance out the more soulful songs and ballads. Overall, A Perfect Contradiction offers a nostalgic look at retro styles. The reissue's striking curacao blue vinyl adds a visually appealing touch to complete the product nicely,
There's Nothing More Human Than Failure (interlude) (1:21)
Bad Woman (2:37)
Cry On The Dance Floor (4:12)
Say My Name (2:50)
Let It Ride (3:10)
The Big Bang Ending (interlude) (3:51)
Eat Shit & Die (2:42)
Divorce (1:30)
Hate When You're Happy (3:52)
Enjoy Yourself (2:43)
I Am Enough (3:55)
Mirror To Mirror (interlude) (0:43)
Already Broken (3:54)
Review: The famously fun loving and colourful pop queen Paloma Faith shows a whole new life with her latest album The Glorification Of Sadness. As the title suggests, it is a captivating exploration of melancholy transformed into artistry with her signature soulful vocals and emotive delivery from and centre. They find Faith navigate themes of heartbreak and resilience with raw honesty and theatrical flair as each track unfurls like a cinematic journey adorned with lush orchestration and poignant lyricism. It's an album of bittersweet beauty. From the haunting to the empowering, always with a poignant narrative that celebrates the complexities of human emotion.
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