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Review: Leeds indie stars English Teacher serve up a fantastic debut album here with 'This Could Be Texas'. Preceding hits 'The World's Biggest Paving Slab', 'Nearly Daffodils' and 'Mastermind Specialism' have all topped BBC 6 Music playlists and helped build the band quite the following. Their rise continued to soar after they appeared on Later With...Jools Holland, and they have since played a sold-out UK and US tour. Lead singer Lily Fontaine's vision for the album was "an odyssey to space, revealing Doncaster's likeness. It's about navigating in-betweens, cherishing home, and tracing Desire Paths." Fontaine reflects on being mixed-race in post-Brexit several times throughout the album and it comes here on lovely green vinyl.

Review: Noah Kahan released his third album to critical acclaim in 2022, perfecting the sound of his full-bodied take on anthemic modern folk and Americana. 'Northern Attitude' sums up his approach perfectly, juxtaposing moments of tender fragility with powerful, driving surges of chorus that could fill a stadium. This balance of intimacy and bombast is precisely why he's such a success story, crafting the kind of songs that can burrow into your heart and wind up soundtracking an emotive scene in a future summer blockbuster. There's been a wait for this limited chestnut brown edition of the album, but here it is, pressed up and looking as fine as it sounds.

Review: There's potentially been no bigger indie-related "controversy" this year than the rhetoric surrounding London's latest baroque chamber-pop wonders The Last Dinner Party, who have been hit with barrages of embittered tweets and accusations of the dreaded "industry plant" label since unveiling their debut single 'Nothing Matters' during the early stages of 2023. The main point of contention came from their much-discussed opening slot at The Rolling Stone's Hyde Park show without a solitary piece of studio material online, yet the power of their grassroots fanbase, built up organically through years of indie gig circuitry as well as the exceptional follow up single 'Sinner', has silenced the vast majority of begrudging grumblers across the digital sphere. Now with further supports for the likes of Florence & The Machine and even Lana Del Rey under their bedazzled, Victorian era belts, as well as an appearance on Later...with Jools Holland, the collective seem poised to grasp 2024 by the proverbial horns in a manner not too dissimilar to how Wet Leg triumphed over 2022. Take note when we say that Prelude To Ecstasy will be one of the biggest and most discussed debuts of the next year, as it flaunts its avant-pop stylings echoing the likes of Kate Bush but re-packaged for the Warpaint hipsters with a sprinkling of Siouxsie & The Banshees eccentricity.

Review: London based newfound baroque indie-pop darlings The Last Dinner Party have been at the centre of some controversy ever since they released their hit debut single 'Nothing Matters' earlier in 2023. Gigging relentlessly over the past few years, the group would draw the ire of Twitter addicts who accused the band of the dreaded "industry plant" label in a similar vain to the negativity lobbed at Wet Leg in 2022. While likely stemming from a minor support slot for The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park before they'd unveiled any studio material, the power of the aforementioned lead single as well as the subsequent follow up 'Sinner', have quelled much of the grumblings. Following support slots for Lana Del Rey and Florence & The Machine, as well as appearing on Jools Holland, the uphill battle the women have faced thus far looks set to finally summit with the arrival of their highly anticipated debut full-length Prelude To Ecstasy in early 2024. Mark our words, this will be one the first releases of 2024 you see plastered all over the internet and again this time next year during the AOTY round up. Think Kate Bush meets Siouxsie & The Banshees with a smattering of Warpaint, and you're (almost) on the right track.

Review: Given that they warmed up for the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park two years ago and won the 'Rising Stars' award at the 2023 BRITS, it would be fair to say that The Last Dinner Party are one of UK indie-music's most hyped bands. As a result, interest in Prelude to Ecstasy, their debut album, is sky-high. It was produced by James Ford - arguably one of the most in-demand studio knob-twiddlers of recent times - and has a concept of sorts: a musical exploration of the extremes of human emotions, with confessional lyrics written after band-members dug out and re-read their old diaries. They've certainly delivered on that project, creating immersive sound worlds (in part via the use of strings and trippy electronics as well as their usual instruments) that variously draw influence from mid-70s Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, funky post-punk rock, art-rock and vintage West Coast AOR.

Review: Old Soul showcases eight-time Grammy-winner Stephen Marley's expanding musical horizons as a singer and songwriter with a new acoustic, soul-leaning album. Boasting an array of special collaborations, including Jack Johnson, Bob Weir, Eric Clapton, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Ziggy Marley, Buju Banton and Slightly Stoopid. Described by close confidants as a coming-of-age journey - expanding on the legacy of his time-honoured father as the second son of reggae legend Bob Marley - this is Stephen's fleshed-out sonic methodology and blueprint in sound, for traversing the trials faced by a family in the limelight of posterity.

Review: Mumford & Sons drop a surprise single release alongside Pharrell Williams, 'Good People', delivering on a long-awaited promise to hop in the studio together after years of knowing each other. Finally falling back on their immediate instincts, 'Good People' hears the band and the solo wunderkind sing of tiredness and revelation, making adept use of a dry, driving, sportsmanlike instrumental palette (think hand claps, stomps, gospel harmonies). Though cryptic in theme, the mood on this one-off is one of triumph and impending miracle works to come.

Review: Unstoppable next-gen junglist Nia Archives presents Silence Is Loud, her forthcoming debut album following an introductory onslaught of bangers such as 'Crowded Roomz'.AIn keeping with the contemporary torch-bearer's take on jungle, Archives' sound is cuter and, dare we say, more original than many Terminator-helmeted old-heads would dare allow themselves. Lead single 'Silence Is Loud' demonstrates this as much, with its expository beat drop marking a return to and cogent awareness of, jungle tekno, with its 4x4 undergird topped up by a floaty trip-hop vocal line, its lyrics evoking city reminiscences and staying afloat in troubled times. Promising both banger delivery and sentiment, Silence Is Loud is poised to pave the way for the very next incarnation jungle.

Review: Earlier this year, Post Malone set a new record by notching up more "diamond"-certified singles - in the United States, at least - than any other artist. The rapper and singer celebrated this fantastic feat (which is all the more remarkable given that it has only taken him seven years and four albums) by releasing his first compilation. This expanded, double-disc deluxe edition adds to the "diamond-heavy" first disc, which boasts all his ground-breaking singles since 2016, with a bonus disc containing other favourites plucked from all four of his studio albums to date. Heavy on guest appearances (Dolla $ign, The Weeknd, Doja Cat, Young Thug and Ozzy Osbourne all feature) and produced by some real heavyweights, it's an indispensable collection of chart-bothering, 21st century hip-hop hits.

Review: Norwegian pop heavyweight Sigrid has gone from strength to strength since breaking through in 2017 with 'Don't Kill My Vibe'. Her talents have reached to songwriting credits for the likes of Paloma Faith and Rudimental, but it's in her own work where you can hear the precocious singer in full flight. In the wake of 2022 sophomore album How To Let Go, she points to the future with this dazzling, succinct EP. As the title suggests, this release is a reflection on the impact of her meteoric rise and what it means to be on the receiving end of worldwide attention, but naturally Sigrid takes the rollercoaster ride in her stride and sounds more empowered than ever.

Review: Over the summer Skepta was teasing hints of a forthcoming track which looks set to take his superstar status even further. Amy Winehouse's influence is still felt massively across the music world - the tragedy of her story collides with her natural talent to carry a huge amount of power and that's what Skepta's drawn on sampling 'Tears Dry On Their Own' from Winehouse's classic 2006 LP Back To Black. Strapping a vocal lick from the track to an anthemic deep house production, it's a focused club workout for the UK rapper, pressed up on yellow vinyl and billed as 'A Tribute To Amy'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Damage to the spines of Record Two and Record Three and slight creasing to corners of outer box but otherwise in excellent condition***


British rock sensation U2 deliver 'Songs Of Surrender', which compiles the best of the band's most well-known songs, which were re-recorded and reinterpreted during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020. Hits include 'With Or Without You', 'Pride', 'Bad' and 'Stories For Boys', making this a deluxe retrospective for any U2 fan champing at the bit for new material.

Review: Where's My Utopia? is the highly anticipated follow up to Leeds post-punk darlings Yard Act's Mercury Prize-nominated debut LP The Overload, and continues their eccentric, whimsical and sobering assessment of life in modern day Britain with a cheeky smile plastered over decades of embittered rage. Following on from last year's bizarre Black Mirror-inspired eight-minute single 'The Trench Coat Museum', this sophomore effort succeeds at every turn a second album should. Linking up with Gorillaz' Remi Kabaka Jr to handle production, the move has led to a curious wading into influences that might have seemed obvious to outside ears, with a newfound embracing of new wave synth pop whilst tapping into the psychedelic sonic world and political ethos of Fela Kuti. Lyrically, taking the UK to further task for its endless shopping list of fuck ups, whilst also touching on their seemingly overnight ascension, and the irony that comes with being signed to a subsidiary of another monolithic, faceless corporation endorsing the myriad of issues completely at odds with the morals embedded into the Yard Act DNA, Where's My Utopia? sees the band beating everyone to the punch, both musically and topically.

Review: The return of Yard Act. Where's My Utopia? is the follow up to the Leeds band's critically-acclaimed debut record The Overload, which arrived in January 2022. Written in snapshots of time between a relentless touring schedule and produced jointly by the band and Gorillaz' Remi Kabaka Jr, the quartet's second act is a giant leap forward into broad and playful new sonic waters. Across the record, influences ranging from Fela Kuti to Ennio Moricone via Spiller's 00s pop smash 'Groovejet' make themselves known, signifying a significant shift onwards and outwards from the raw new wave/indie sound of its predecessor.

Review: Where's My Utopia? is the follow up to the Leeds band's critically-acclaimed debut record The Overload, which arrived in January 2022. A co-production between Yard Act and Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr., this latest album comes across as a meditation on the contemporary post-Fordist condition of the creative worker. Speaking about 'Dream Job', the band's James Smith said: "'Dream Job' feels like an apt introduction to the themes explored on Where's My Utopia? - though not all encompassing. In part I was scrutinising and mocking myself for being a moaning ungrateful little brat, whilst also trying to address how the music industry is this rather uncontrollable beast that hurtles forward unthinkingly, and every single person involved in it plays their part." Echoing the conflicted inner turmoil of reluctant bandleaders such as Mark E Smith of the Fall - "it's a constant battle" - and the sonic affect of Talking Heads, the album addresses a question central to our times: what do you do when everything you've ever wanted suddenly lands in your lap, but the questions still keep on coming? How do you handle fame and success, when your fans secretly resent the structures that elevated you to that status? Despite these contradictions, all this doesn't stop James Smith, Ryan Needham and Sam Shipstone from delivering a rip-roaring album as expected. If they can find the motivation to make such effective music despite their doubts (meditating on present conditions of poverty while keeping up a smile), then so, perhaps, can you.

Review: Following on from 2022's critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize nominated debut LP The Overload, crossing over the bridge provided by last year's absurdist, Black Mirror-indebted eight-minute stand alone single 'The Trench Coat Museum', everyone's new favourite Leeds based post-punks Yard Act are set to capitalise on their momentous winning streak with the highly anticipated sophomore effort Where's My Utopia? Recorded in collaboration with Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr handling production duties, sonically the band have opted to open their playful dynamic to as many sprawling influences as possible, simultaneously leaning into synth-laden new wave territory whilst citing Fela Kuti's political messaging and worldly psychedelia as an integral aspect. As lyrically snide and sharp as ever, the reliable brand of tongue-firmly-in-cheek socio-political commentary reaches ludicrous new heights when unpacking the band's success to date, their self-awareness of being signed to a subsidiary of a subsidiary of another soulless corporation aggressively at odds with the members' personal ethos, and even the increasing admiration/begrudgery that stems from the ascension within the eyes of their supporters. It's all clever, dense, humorous and delivered via an onslaught of razor-focused bangers. In essence, it's Yard Act.