Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Zak Starkey - The Who's drummer and, as it happens, Ringo Starr's kid - joined ex-Kula Shaker bassist Alonza Bevan and The Smiths legend Johnny Marr for what was a kind of British indie supergroup of sorts, for a brief moment of glory. Boomslang remains the first and only album released by JM and the Healers, landing in 2003 to a rather mixed bag of reviews. Some lauded its musicality, others criticised the frontman's lack of bravery in refusing to move out of comfort zones. Listening back 21 years later, we're not sure what people were looking for and, to be honest, that kind of summarises the post-millennial era. We'd spent a lot and did a lot in the previous century, and it took some time to refocus on the blank page of the next 100 years. For us, Boomslang is a well balanced trip through a variety of very UK guitar sounds, from loose, druggy, vocally-effected bits to bewitchingly quiet folk-tinged stuff and rowdier, fight night scores. To clarify - that's all good.

Review: Dudu Tassa is one of Israel's top rock stars and here he honours his heritage as the grandson of the great Daoud Al Kuwaiti, half of the legendary Al Kuwaiti Brothers, who were icons of Arabic music from the 1930s to 1950s. He does so by modernising their classic recordings and creating a new, unique fusion of sound that has led to him performing at Coachella and supporting Radiohead on a U.S. tour. This new album edition includes a bonus track, 'Ala Shawati Dijlah Mur,' featuring Iraqi singer-composer Karrar Alsaadi. This is worldly, transportive music that travels through time and cultures with an inescapable underlying groove.

Review: Duran Duran bassist Andy Taylor hasn't released a solo album in some thirty years. Man's A Wolf To Man rights that wrong as his third solo album overall. Though we seem to have had most pandemic music pass through by now, this album is one that harks back to that time, as well as drawing on Taylor's prostate cancer diagnosis which meant he couldn't attend his induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of Duran Duran. Despite those sad circumstances the album is one of joy and hope, with uplifting songs marking some of the best of his solo career.

Review: The Thompson Twins' Into the Gap, first released in 1984, remains a standout example of 80s synth-pop, and the newly reissued red vinyl edition for its 40th anniversary underscores its enduring appeal. The album features hits like 'Hold Me Now', 'Doctor! Doctor!' and 'You Take Me Up', known for their inventive arrangements and a unique blend of influencesiparticularly Arabic music. Tracks like 'The Gap', which addresses themes of cultural diversity and 'Sister of Mercy' exemplify the band's ability to blend socially conscious lyrics with captivating production. Despite the album's origins in the 80s, its music feels timeless due to its strong songwriting and avoidance of overly quirky synth effects that have aged less gracefully in other records from the same period. Into the Gap remains an fun and catchy listening, filled with energetic, uplifting songs that still resonate with people today. It's a new wave classic and the finest achievement in the Thompson Twins' catalog.

Review: Travis are proof we should look beyond singles. 25 years ago, the band released The Man Who, which still represents the apex of their commercial success, with singles like 'Driftwood' and 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me' positioning them as talented but rather morose, folk-hued indie rockers from a Scotland which has the reputation for equally dreary weather. In reality, though, that's as reductive as saying 2024 is all about TikTok videos of the Euros. There's always been a lot more going on with Travis, and their tenth studio album, aptly titled L.A. Times because it was recorded in a studio just off Skid Row, really proves this. Veering between stylistically divergent tracks, on the one hand we get weirdo Americana, another rousing chorus pop, another glass-boned tenderness, another, arena-filling rock. Better yet, it all works very well indeed.