Review: Building on the triumph of Les Imprimes' inaugural album, Reverie, Big Crown Records presents two standout tracks from the album pressed onto this 7". For the A-side, Morten provides an edit and infuses the mix with an extra dose of depth reminiscent of Larry Levan's style. The result is striking and hits harder, igniting the dancefloor with its infectious rhythm while delivering a resonant message about the consequences of investing too much in the wrong relationships: On the B-side, 'You' bursts forth with a captivating crescendo, setting the stage for a sublime sweet soul melody. This beautiful declaration of love and reassurance is equally enchanting both musically and lyrically. Morten Martens' talent for arrangement shines through on both of these lovely tunes.
Review: Norwegian outfit Les Imprimes have already found their feet with their earliest outings on Big Crown. As they continue to build towards their new album Reverie they drop another single from it here in the form of 'Falling Away' backed with 'Still Here'. Both cuts are beautiful and display fine musicianship, the sort of soul that melts your heart and breezy grooves that bring calm to your mind and body. Vocals enrich each cut and on this evidence, the upcoming album is going to be special indeed.
Review: The original 12" of 'I Follow Rivers' remixes was served up back in 2012 and was an instant hit. It now gets a reissue that proves it has aged perfectly well in the last decade. The original is a swelling and deep soul-drenched groove with broken beats and scattered percussion. The soaring vocals are designed for maximum impact. The Lost Sessions mix then pairs hits back to the tender piano chords and allows the aching vocal room to shine and The Magician remix brings a hands in the air festival vibe.
Review: There has been plenty said about debutants L'Epee since their single "Dreams" turned heads back in spring. Combining the talents of Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre), French artist Emmanuelle Seigner, and polished-to-a-sheen pop outfit The Liminanas, it's one of the most refreshing (and French) things you're likely to hear all year. That's more of a reference to the cinematic feeling that defines the album, owing much to the femme fatale vocal delivery, rather than the language each line is sung in. At once evoking the smoky cool of Serge Gainsbourg and the opiate moods of The Velvet Underground, "Diabolique" feels born in a time when psychedelic experimentation and chart topping music weren't mutually exclusive. At once sophisticated and hedonistic, it's a sexy, sensual and overwhelmingly seductive effort everyone should turn themselves on to.
Review: Now released for the first time on vinyl in the UK, Parisian Nu-Disco sextet L'Imperatrice's 3rd EP Odyssee, released in 2015, was a 6-track journey through the dreamy, vintage sound of French disco-pop. Rereleased and renamed a year later under L'Empereur at a different speed, this gatefold contains the original EP as well as acoustic renditions of five tracks, plus a bonus track in Interlune, a strings piece that flows into the string instrumental of La Lune (Version Acoustique). The smooth bass and layered synth will hook you, but you'll stay for the vocal talents of Flore Benguigui who joined the outlet that same year. Her smooth tones are like melted butter against the bass. Odysee was a bold step for the band - but one that proved wildly successful and was just the beginning of the symphonic formula that L'Imperatrice has continued to refine to this day.
Review: L.A. Witch is back with a marked evolution in their sound that pulls in aspects of garage rock and post-punk while exploring existential themes of love, devotion and subservience. Recorded in Paris, the trio of Sade Sanchez, Irita Pai and Ellie English push their craft to new realms with icy instrumentation and introspective lyrics. Tracks like 'Icicle' channel early goth vibes while '777' delves into fatalistic passion. The album also, we're told, explores the symbolic connection between women and dogs with themes of sacrifice and loyalty. All this makes it rather menacing yet oddly romantic, so DOGGOD revitalises the band's trademark sound while taking them into darker territories with haunting overtones.
Elliot's Song (with Dominic Fike, Zendaya & Labrinth) (2:29)
I Don't Know If I'm A Good Person (0:29)
Love Is Complicated (The Angels Sing) (3:20)
Fun At The Alley (2:25)
Sidekicks Are Smarter (3:26)
Pros & Cons (2:22)
At Least I'm Loved (0:32)
Rue's I'm Tired (1:40)
Review: GRAMMY-nominated and Emmy Award-winning multihyphenate Labrinth builds on the success of scoring the first season of Euphoria with another high octane score for the second series. The HBO series was a huge hit and that's in part because of the music. Labrinth himself has said this one is more than just soundtrack music and he's right. It is a visceral listening experience in its own right and one with 22 well crafted tracks including the fan favourite version of 'I'm Tired.' Whether or not you have seen this series, this album is well worth hearing.
Review: On Good Together, Lake Street Dive embraces a renewed sense of purpose and focus on unity amidst social divisions. Described as "joyful rebellion", the album blends energetic, danceable sounds with a defiant, principled message that makes a long-lasting impression. "There's so much pain and division but living in anger isn't sustainable," drummer Mike Calabrese explains adding, "Joy is a powerful way to sustain yourself, and we wanted to remind people of that." The album he has made with his bandmates was produced by Grammy-winner Mike Elizondo and is the first time they collaborated on songwriting from the start. In turn, this expanded their creative range and has brought a new depth to their sound.
Review: Times change, things get worse, outlooks seem bleaker, and the storm grows more severe. It's times like these you really need a ballast, something to hold on to and call upon for reassurance. Since inception, Lambchop have tried to be that force for good in a world hellbent on marching to madness. And The Bible is the group's finest hour for several years, although on the face of things it's not necessarily very different from immediate predecessors.
Lead singer Kurt Wagner has frequently quipped that his band don't really fit the country genre label, but again we're struggling to think of where else to place this. Country and Western it certainly isn't, but the totems are definitely down that route. That strong, iconic, patient and thought-provoking yet scarred voice, songs dealing with both the festival and comedown of life itself. This is slow, piercingly poignant stuff, from the heartbroken piano quiet of 'So There', to gospel-infused jazz on 'Police Dog Blues'.
Review: Anita Lane sadly passed away in 2021 after a 20th anniversary edition of her Sex O'Clock album had already been scheduled for release. It has never been on vinyl before but made Anita one of the most admired talents to have come from Melbourne's post-rock scene. The record was produced by Mick Harvey and features co-writes with various Bad Seeds as well as taking in some unique new interpretations of other songwriter's tracks including Gil Scott-Heron's iconic 'Home is Where the Hatred Is'. The rest of the tracks feature her delicate vocal delivery style, real lyrical wit and a subtly steamy guitars that all ooze sophistication.
Review: A Beautiful Blur is the fifth studio album from LANY but it is their first without founding member and keyboardist Les Priest, who left the band in 2022. This new era was announced a year ago and was ushered in with four singles including 'Congrats,' 'Love At First Fight', 'Alonica' and 'XXL' which all built anticipation for the album. They are included here with all new tracks that show how the band has evolved with its new lineup but also managed to stay true to the roots of their signature sound.
Review: After their first two albums topped the UK album charts, the Wigan rock band are now onto their third album and first on Liverpool label Modern Sky. Taking things back to where it all began, they went into the album with their former college mentor John Kettle, who recorded their first official single 'Crying Out', which was released in 2019. Putting their trust in someone close to them and not being tempted by a big-name producer has paid dividends as they sound more themselves. Album opener 'Leave No Stone Unturned' is very Coral-esque with its wall of sound harmonies and 'Stellar Cast' is a viscerally enthralling number, conveying a sense of chaos. If there's a lyrical theme that stands out, it's a subtle anti-war message and it will take a lot of beating for a song in 2025 with pacifist themes to topple 'Reflections Of Lessons Left' - it's a corker.
Review: Six years ago, an iconic and emotional concert at Madison Square Gardens marked the end of LCD Soundsystem. The accompanying documentary 'Shut Up and Play The Hits' delved into frontman James Murphy's reasons for the decision, with self-examination, a need for change and a fear of old age playing a part. Fast forward to 2017, and the surprise release of three singles accompanying the announcement of a comeback album triggers anticipation and a sigh of relief from fans everywhere. 'American Dream' meets expectations and at times surpasses them, with the familiar driving disco rhythms, strutting funk basslines and heartfelt morning-after-the-night-before ballads feeling like a well-needed catch up with an old friend. The current musical, social and political climates provide Murphy with platforms for his self-effacing and acerbic witticisms. This strong return to form was needed now perhaps more than ever, but simultaneously feels like they never left in the first place.
Review: Surely your first thoughts seeing this album drop are what a shame it is that LCD Soundsystem no longer crank out the tunes. Happily, we shall always have their fine body of work to revert to in times of need and few albums could quench your thirst for punk-funk-infused indie-disco bangers than this live effort from 2010's Berlin Festival. It has a number of the cult US band's classics included such as a fine rendition of 'Daft Punk Is Playing In My House', the seminal 'Get Innocuous!' and one of our favourites, 'All My Friends'. A wonderful way to revisit the glory years of one of the best bands of the last 20 years.
Review: Le Couleur consistently sidesteps complacency with each new album presenting a fresh musical experiment without ever losing its familiar foundation. With Comme dans un penthouse, the band takes its biggest leap into musical exploration yet as they revisit elements of 'Voyage Love' while delving deeper into disco infused with new wave nuances. The result is a cooler, more distant vibe compared to their previous work. The album crafts a narrative universe around Barbara, introduced in 'POP,' as she seeks excess, pleasure, and happiness amidst frenetic rhythms. From the Krautrock-inspired 'Autobahn' to futuristic tracks reminiscent of Das Mortal, Le Couleur deftly balances innovation with familiarity here on another sublime-sounding album.
Review: New Zealand collective Leisure collides many different musical worlds on their genre-blurring sophomore album, genre-blurring. Soul, r&b, rock and pop all get taken in and worked into a lush sound defined by its experimental energy. There are several standout tracks like 'Money' and 'Feeling Free' that showcase their signature sun-soaked vocals and smooth grooves. Elsewhere, Twister brings a bold, modern take on funk, which has won over both fans and critics with 'On My Mind' a prime example of their boundless creativity and knack for warm textures and adventurous spirit. As such, it's a record that cements the group's place as contemporary innovators.
Review: Evand Dando and co broke through to the mainstream with the sublime, sunny songwriting of 1992's It's A Shame About Ray, then managed to sustain their time at the top the following year with the Slade-referencing Come On Feel The Lemonheads. It's an altogether bigger and superfically impressive prospect, with guests like Rick James and Belinda Carlisle making the contributors' list and a production job from The Robb Brothers which elevates it beyond the slacker rock tag they'd had until the is point. It also spawned their biggest ever single - 'Into Your Arms' - and a host of other chart successes, including the excellent anthem 'Big Gay Heart', which saw them neatly distancing themselves from the jock rock category that other contemporaries like Nirvana quickly found themeslves slipping into.
Grown Men Don't Fall In The River, Just Like That (3:02)
Mr Your On Fire Mr (2:27)
Loose Nuts On The Veladrome (2:19)
The Garden Was Crowded & Outside (2:39)
Tumbling Walls Buried Me In The Debris (with ESG) (4:05)
Nothing Is Ever Lost Or Can Be Lost My Science Friend (1:31)
We Live NE Of Compton (1:33)
Why Midnight Walked But Didn't Ring Her Bell (2:56)
This Dust Makes That Mud (0:51)
Review: Liars kicked up a fuss when they launched into earshot around 2001, make no mistake. The New York noise-rockers are absolutely of their time and place, channelling no-wave sonic mischief but also displaying a keen ear for a deadly disco groove, albeit sounding more unhinged on their debut than anything you might have heard on DFA at the time. 20-plus years on, They Threw Us In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top is a classic - just try listening to the spiky funk of 'Mr Your On Fire Mr' and not feeling the urge to throw things around the room and shake every limb at your disposal.
Review: One of the most compelling avant garde groups to emerge from the UK in years, Lice's second album shows them thrillingly darting between minimalism, rock, techno and more. It's tense, paranoiac, dramatic affair throughout and sounds thoroughly artful without a hint of pastiche. Curiously, this is a concept album expressed through three movements. The first traces a child's socialisation and their later awareness of the process and its limitations. The second is about them reevaluating fundamental concepts including money, time, nationhood and language. The third is about them embracing these new ideas and the increased sense of agency they receive. It's advanced creativity for a band merely on their second album and shows immense promise for them to follow in the footsteps of experimental greats such as Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart whilst maintaining a sense of British rock.
Review: Wearing 1980s synth pop influences on their sleeve, and sounding exactly like they belong on the mighty DFA, Brooklyn's Light Asylum were rightly praised at the time they put out their debut - and, to this date - only studio album, circa 2012. Critics noted that, at a time when dance-punk crossover was everywhere, driven by LCD Soundsystem and many of the acts frontman James Murphy signed to DFA, the New Yorkers manage to differentiate themselves from the pack in several ways.
Taking a hint of Depeche Mode (well, maybe a bit more), a pinch of Nine Inch Nails, and parts of Throbbing Gristle, Gary Numan, and other pioneers, Light Asylum managed to introduce some much-needed light and spatiality into the often claustrophobically dark and oppressive industrial synth world. In doing so, they offer a sound that's somehow both universally accessible and niche, which is never an easy line to tread.
Review: Considering the most she's ever been guilty of is writing soft but super emotional folk-leaning indie rock, Fenne Lily has proven remarkably divisive over the past half decade or so. 2018's debut, On Hold, seemed to split critics down the middle, some lauding praise on the release while others wrote it off as sad girl songs lacking the ingredients to truly stand out.
In reality, all negative thoughts were really the result of one thing - the incredible hype that was surrounding the Bristol songwriter ahead of that first LP. Five years on, and with more records behind her, it's safe to say the haters lost and she definitely won: Big Picture is a confident and committed testament to the fact that she is incredibly talented, packing real impact behind those whispered words and, for the most part, gently plucked six strings.
Review: "I was diagnosed with ADHD at 15 when I was expelled from school. I often feel like every day is an emotional rollercoaster. This album is a representation of that. It's a journey of high-energy, intense songs and deep, slow, mournful ballads", says Tara Lily, the British-Bengali South Londoner whose been turning heads with her captivating blend of jazz, electronica, trip hop, experimental r&b and Indian-subcontinental musical hues and cues. Produced by Dom Valentino, Speak In The Dark is immediately engrossing, like walking into a room to find an open fire blazing and falling into its spell the moment you take a seat. It's beautiful, and in some moments staggeringly so. It's packed with groove and mood and atmosphere that's somewhere between edge and sophistication, at times closing in on the carnival dnb-pop that Tru Thoughts has always done so well. Simply put, this is the best thing you'll hear for some time.
Review: Formed in the Annan, Dumfries/Cumbria no man's land of English/Scottish borderland in 1978 before dissolving in the early 80s, The Limps are another case of a forgotten punk gem who never truly received their flowers. Releasing only a handful of singles during their short-lived tenure, which managed reliable spins from legendary DJ John Peel, this compilation collates every known recording of the band's output onto one singular slice of wax, including cuts taken directly from their Peel Sessions. The much anticipated pressing also comes just as the band are enjoying somewhat of a resurgence due to the use of their track 'Someone I Can Talk To' in the 2024 teen comedy Snack Shack. According to guitarist and songwriter Andy Septic (nowadays known as Cumberland Council's councillor and former mayor of Cockermouth Andrew Semple) - "John loved the second record saying it was a 'considerable improvement' from the first. We recorded his show on tape then years later we put it on YouTube and that's where the film director heard us", before humorously clarifying, "We've received a bit of money, but there's not much when it's got to be divided between four of us". Don't sleep as this small batch or rarities won't stick around long.
Review: Following the tragic passing of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017, many presumed the natural end of nu-metal turned alt rock giants Linkin Park. Rattling their fanbase with news of a resurgence with Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong, as well as new drummer Colin Brittain (replacing Rob Bourdain who opted not to join the reunion), From Zero nods to the band's original moniker of Xero while also ushering in this new era for the group, whereas sonically, the band do their best to simultaneously pay credence to their heavier origins whilst naturally progressing towards their newfound vision. Their first full-length since 2017's pop-oriented One More Light may come as a shock to many devout to the Bennington era, but the earnestness in composition sees a retrospective embracing of nu-metal motifs yet modified and extrapolated to embolden this entirely new compositional framework. Attempting to compare to prior releases is naturally par for the course yet won't do much to alter this new musical trajectory, as From Zero swells with the breath of an entirely fresh project that owes humble countenance to the Linkin Park of yesteryear. At 11 tracks clocking on at just over a half-hour, the mission statement is one of succinct brevity and urgency, but whether it truly fills the Bennington shaped void is down to each unique set of ears.
Review: With the tragic, untimely passing of lead vocalist Chester Bennington in 2017, it naturally appeared to be the end for nu-metal/alt rock juggernauts Linkin Park, until recently shocking their fans with the confirmed news that Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong would be taking Bennington's place, while new drummer Colin Brittain would step in to replace Rob Bourdain who decided not to join the reformation. Serving as the follow up to 2017's pop focused One More Light, the band's upcoming eight full-length LP From Zero takes its title from their original early day name Xero whilst highlighting this newly defined creative origin the members have found themselves cornered into, bearing clear signs of a desire to celebrate their nu-metal beginnings without undoing the decades worth of progression they have accomplished since. With 11 tracks and just over a half-hour runtime, it's evident the project appears to be prioritising brevity and a succinct introduction to this new era without losing site of what sonically drew their legions of fans to them in the first place. It's a brave, delicate time for Linkin Park with From Zero championed as the heralding of this new chapter, aiming to hopefully bridge and appease listeners from all spectrums of their back catalogue.
Review: The Certified 12xPlatinum Grammy Award winning seminal debut album from nu-metal heavyweights Linkin Park is set to receive a brand-new limited reissue (along with 2003's Meteora and 2007's Minutes to Midnight) on what has been dubbed the "One Step" remasters. These high-quality audiophile pressings launch the new "Because Sound Matters One-Step" series, with each release providing details of the audio sourcing process; all housed in newly designed slipcases. Pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, numbered and limited to 3,000 copies, mark our words when we say you've never heard the genre-defining hits such as 'One Step Closer', 'Papercut', 'Crawling', or, 'In The End', with this level of clarity and fidelity, while the band's effortless fusion of metal, hip-hop, alternative rock and turntable wizardry, emboldened by the legendary production guru Terry Date, has rarely radiated such towering sonic warmth. Above all, the vulnerable lyricism and cathartic cadence of late, great lead vocalist Chester Bennington looms large and poignant.
Review: With the untimely and tragic passing of Chester Bennington in 2017, it was the natural presumption that Californian nu-metal turned alt rock megastars Linkin Park would cease to exist. Surprising their avid fanbase by announcing news of their reformation with Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong, as well as new drummer Colin Brittain (Rob Bourdain opted not to join the reunion), From Zero offers a nod to their original band name Xero whilst simultaneously ushering in their new era. Sonically, the band are doing their utmost to both pay credence to their heavier origins while naturally rerouting towards their newfound vision. Serving as follow up to 2017's pop-oriented and critically panned One More Light, the understandable decision to re-embrace aspects of their nu-metal motifs is commendable, whilst modifying and building upon their past sonics to craft comfortable musical bedrock for the new voice of their band. Comparing to prior albums may be inescapable for diehard fans with the material owing humble countenance to the Linkin Park of yesteryear, while this deluxe edition expands upon the original version's somewhat succinct (or rushed) 11 tracks over 30 minutes with an additional three bonus cuts as well as five live versions.
Review: There are few nu-metal bands from the formative late 90s/early 00s scene who achieved the monumental crossover appeal of Linkin Park. From their turntable spinning, frenetic rap-metal beginnings on 2000's global breakout Hybrid Theory, to the refined maturation of their formula on 2003's career-height Meteora, to their Jay-Z collaborative album Collision Course to the shedding of skin and rebranding as a genre-less alternative rock entity on 2007's Minutes To Midnight; as popular and accessible as they were, the band clearly constantly strived for sonic progression. Papercuts collects the highest charting singles from the group over two decades, with the most recent contribution being the previously unreleased 'Friendly Fire' recorded during the sessions for 2017's One More Light, which ultimately serves as the final new piece of recording from the band and vocalist Chester Bennington who would tragically take his own life later that same year. Ignoring the standard sequencing of a greatest hits which often lists the tracks in chronologically released order, here the cuts are compiled to sonically complement each other and reflect the band's ethos rather than a single line commercial pattern. Here is why the anthemic double platinum 'In The End' is juxtaposed with the minimalist rap-rock of MTM banger 'Bleed It Out', or why the previously unreleased fan favourite demo 'QWERTY' lands right between the U2 indebted 'What I've Done' and the original breakout single that started it all 'One Step Closer'.
Review: It's difficult to describe to those too young to have been there and to those too old to give a toss, just how rife the anticipation was for the sophomore full-length from nu-metal giants Linkin Park following on from the global success of their multi-platinum selling debut album Hybrid Theory in 2000. Following what felt like an eternal three years, both shortened and lengthened by the bloated remix album Reanimation, 2003's Meteora was nothing short of lightning striking in the same place twice. Debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200, certified 8xPlatinium and currently ranked as the 8th highest selling album of the 21st century, to call the band's second album a success seems like a very muted understatement when anthems such as 'Somewhere I Belong', 'Faint', and, 'Numb' are still some of the highest charting and most world-renowned metal singles to ever blare out across the airwaves. While musically drifting further away from their nu-metal beginnings with each subsequent project, both Meteora and its predecessor belong to a subset of genre-defining classics that appear to become more embraced and less maligned with age, as the nu-metal subgenre becomes less of a dirty word. It also goes without saying that the incomparable vocal presence of late frontman Chester Bennington as well as his vulnerable and cathartic lyricism take on a far more bleak and oppressive shade with the folly of hindsight.
Review: These seven tracks of scuzzy, lo-fi indie are ingrained with the sound of London streets. The trio of musicians behind it - guitarist Barrie Cadogan, bassist Lewis Wharton and drummer Malcolm Catto - draw on all their 25-year plus experiences of working in multiple genres to serve up blues and rock collisions, psyched-out indie trips, gauzy, summer of love sonics and breakbeat and jazz fusions. The tracks were recorded with minimal overdubs making for an expansive and all consuming sound where the driving rhythm sections do the heavy lifting while the swirling sonics up top take things to a higher level. It might be deeper and darker than you'd expect of this band, but what else would you expect of a record made during this most weird of years.
Review: .The last time we fell in love with Kedr Livansky it was October 2021 and the world was looking up. Lockdowns were over, and Liminal Soul brought us a celebratory embrace rooted in dance music and post-club night warmth. "Trance-tipped, heart-on-sleeve dance music that's never shy and still always chilled out enough to sit back and contemplate," we said at the time. Myrtus Myth is a very different thing altogether, but thankfully feels no less optimistic. Definitely sitting closer to pop, a kind of soft-yacht-rock, electronic-jazz-chill, and beach bar downtempo compared with the dance floors we were so keen to revisit three years ago, a few things have survived - all of them wonderful deep. Another stunner, to put all that another way.
Review: In January 2023, amidst Dorset's snow-laden silence, Emily Cross found herself in an unlikely setting: a former coffin-maker's workshop serving as her end-of-life doula workspace. Here, Loma sought rebirth after disbanding post-Don't Shy Away. International separation during the pandemic stalled their creative process until Cross suggested a regroup in the UK. Using minimal gear and a padded coffin as a vocal booth, they transformed whitewashed rooms into a studio, even using a nearby chapel's ruin as a reverb chamber. The resulting album, How Will I Live Without A Body?, resonates with English countryside hues and Laurie Anderson-inspired AI poetry, reflecting on partnership, loss, and the transformative journey of reconnecting.
Flume - "Let Me Know" (feat London Grammar) (3:21)
Lose Your Head (Camelphat remix) (3:32)
Strong (High Contrast remix) (3:12)
Help Me Lose My Mind (with Disclosure) (4:05)
Hell To The Liars (Kolsch remix) (12:37)
Wasting My Young Years (Henrik Schwarz remix) (8:32)
Oh Woman Oh Man (MK remix) (5:34)
Sights (Dennis Ferrer remix) (7:06)
Hey Now (Bonobo remix) (5:48)
Baby It's You (Joris Voorn extended remix) (3:18)
Review: This new long player from Ministry of Sound is their contribution to Record Store Day 2024 and it takes the form of a bunch of mixes of London Grammar's various different tunes. Global house outfit Camelphat feature a couple of times with some nicely emotive and upbeat sounds, 'Strong' gets a jump up drum & bass rework from High Contrast, Henrick Schwarz brings his emo house touch to 'Wasting My Young Years', MK adds some dance-pop sheen to 'Oh Woman Oh Man' and Dennis Ferrer remixes 'Sights' into a tense tech cut with snappy drums.
Review: It's hard, if not impossible, to separate Lord Huron from the deeply heartrending Netflix show, 13 Reasons Why. 'The Night We Met', which closes this, the band's second studio album, features prominently in the series about teenage suicide. It also defines many of the emotions characters are left with, and universal feelings many of us experience at some point or another. That deep regret at not having done more, having done too much, got too deep, or stayed in the shallows and missed what could have been. It's a sad, sad song, make no mistake, twangy guitars and timeless Americana lyrics calling to mind a century or so of forlorn guitar balladry. Is it the best thing on here? Maybe. Maybe not. As a record, Strange Trails more than lives up to its title, taking us by the hand, leading us out into some Pacific Northwest wilderness and inviting us to stay in the patient quiet of deep personal reflection.
Review: This is a special Night Vision cover sleeve version of a special new album that will explode any party with its worldly rhythmical charms. Los Bitchos' 2022 debut Let the Festivities Begin! was a superb one that made for raucous listening and now Talkie Talkie is the technicolor explosion. Featuring dynamic guitar riffs and infectious beats, it marks a bold evolution in their distinctive fusion of global rock'n'roll influences. It was produced by the band alongside Oli Barton-Wood (who has worked with Wet Leg and Nilufer Yanya) and engineer Giles Barrett, and marks a bold step for Talkie Talkie.
Review: Travels In Constants was a wonderful thing. A subscription-only CD series from New York based record label Temporary Residence Ltd, as the new century dawned Low made their contribution to this audio saga with The Exit Papers. A quarter century or so later, and it remains one of the most stunning and powerful outings in the series. Originally just 1,000 copies were made of a collection best described as a "sparse suite of six mostly instrumental pieces composed for a film that never existed." Suffice to say, we have all read lines like that before, but rarely do they feel quite so apt. It's haunting, beautiful, tender, deep, floaty, and occupies some strange place that we've never been to before, but knew the moment we arrived. Electronic ambient, desolate dystopian Western score and lush serenity all at once.
Review: The Days of Our Nights was Luna's fifth studio album and it now gets an overdue repress courtesy of Real Gone Music. The Dean Wareham-fronted band came on strong with plenty of big and hooky indie pop songs here, despite the fact his label dropped them on the eve of the album's release in 1999. Because of that it has become hard to find over the years and is considered something of a lost gem in the band's back catalogue. There are highlights a plenty though such as 'Superfreaky Memories', 'U.S. Out of My Pants!' and a great cover of 'Sweet Child O' Mine' complete with a superb solo by guitarist Sean Eden.
Review: Originally released in 1992, Lush's second studio album really stuck a flag in the ground for the band. Having bestowed the 'mini LP' Scar on listeners three years earlier, at which point they became one of the first outfits to have the term shoegazing applied to their sound, it would take a full length offering to truly establish a framework for the outfit's approach to the (sub)genre. Spooky did just that, opening on the beautiful, grinding greatness of 'Stray', in many ways the record only builds intensity and grandeur from thereon in, providing a home for some of the most incredible moments of opiate indie rock you could ask for. Helped no end by the production of Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie, 31 years later it remains a landmark.
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