Back catalogue: Pop

Review: American superstar The Weeknd really went big with the guests on 'Popular', his dynamic r&b and pop hit from 2011, by enlisting none other than Madonna and Playboy Carti. As a breakout hit from his mixtape era, it showcases his seductive charm and magnetic presence, drawing listeners into his world of late-night escapades and hedonistic pleasures with infectious beats and smooth vocals that exude confidence and swagger and set the stage for his meteoric rise to fame and influence in the years to come. Flip it over and on the back of this Kiss Classics 7" you will find the equally effective 'Starboy' featuring Daft Punk.

Review: It's never easy to have a huge breakthrough single and then keep the momentum. But Tom Walker, who shot to massive fame and acclaim through the 2018 hit 'Leave A Light On', seems to have managed it pretty well considering he's gone five years between first record, What A Time To Be Alive, and the September 2024 follow-up, I Am. That's an age in modern music's relentless march and production line gutter ethics. I Am is certainly a case of picking up where things left off on the last long form. The track list is a mixture of hyper emotional main stage acoustic-electronic pop balladry, and quiet piano-vocal solos seemingly poised over your bleeding body, ready to cut heartstrings with a love letter from the loss of your life. Elsewhere, EDM and hip hop-hued uptempo numbers make a similarly big impression. Comparisons to Ed Sheeran still ring true, then, but that's not to say there's nothing new happening here.

Review: Walt Disco are evolving. Lead vocalist Jocelyn Si, drummer Jack Martin, synth player Finlay McCarthy, bassist Charlie Lock, and guitarist Lewis Carmichael challenged norms with their debut album, Unlearning. Their new record, The Warping, reflects shifting identities, blending memory and future, and exploring younger selves and imagined personas. Written across the Atlantic, from Los Angeles to Glasgow, the album builds enhances their cinematic glam with orchestral musicians, creating a sound both organic and sophisticated. The album addresses personal themes with radical honesty, especially exploring gender dysphoria and envy. Despite a hostile world, especially for queer and trans people, Walt Disco remains resilient.

Review: Natalie Mering's Weyes Blood project is 12 years deep now, and she follows up on 2019's Titanic Rising with this, her fourth studio album. Her sound evolves in kind over this time from the DIY roots of her appearances on Not Not Fun et al, and now she strikes the figure of an eternal songstress joining the dots from classic 70s composition and production through to the aching, head-fogged reflection of the modern condition. Lead single 'It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody' nails the mood of malaise, but the beauty of her songwriting leads and saves us from slipping into despair. Why not commit to the concept and cop this, the limited Loser Edition of And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow.

Review: Robbie Williams remains a towering presence on the British and world pop scene despite some of his more amusing and irreverent antics in the last few years. XXV is his latest album, a 13th overall, and finds his classic hits newly orchestrated by Jules Buckley, Guy Chambers and Steve Sidwell. They have all been re-recorded with the acclaimed Metropole Orkest and as well as the many well-known tunes is 'Lost', a new and original composition and single that shows off Robbie doing what he does best - characterful pop with plenty of hooks.

Review: To celebrate the return of the Glastonbury Festival in 2022 and mark the 15th anniversary of an iconic moment, Island Records served up Amy Winehouse's 2007 Pyramid Stage performance for the first time. This unforgettable set saw the troubled genius headline on June 22nd and it was her debut on the Pyramid Stage. She entranced audiences as ever with her soulful voice and electrifying presence and later that day, she also graced the Jazz World Stage and once again wowed those in attendance with another heartfelt and raw performance. The album now gets reissued and commemorates a milestone in Amy's career as well as a chance to relive the magic of her timeless sound.

Review: The late, great and still sorely missed Amy Winehouse performed one of her famously absorbing live shows at Presqu'île de Malsaucy, Belfort, France for the Eurockeennes de Belfort Festival on June 29th 2007. Four years before her death, it was when she was quite possibly in the form of her life, before her battles with addiction and mental health woes truly took hold and she was able to dig into her emotional reserves and translate that through the mic. That means her renditions of the likes of her own classic tracks 'Back To Black', 'Valerie' and 'Rehab' have rarely sounded better.

Review: Not all Record Store Day releases are created equal, and if you ask us, this is one of the best ever: Golden is a limited-edition gold vinyl compilation featuring all of The Wombles' singles, remastered and presented in chronological order. Originally released in 2024, this version celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Wombles' 1974 UK chart success and includes hits like 'The Wombling Song' and 'Remember You're A Womble' alongside rather more rare tracks such as 'Wombling USA.' The group was a total pop phenomenon in the 1970s and enjoyed chart-topping success with three songs in the UK charts simultaneously in 1974. This nostalgic pressing is a great reminder of those magical times.

Review: US coutntry rockers The Wreckers - or Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp - were only around for three years, but in that time they did manage to chalk up a couple of massive singles, 'Leave The Pieces' and 'My, Oh My', as well as this album, which went on to sell in excess of 850,000 copies after it emerged in May 2006. Harp has gone on to have success as a solo artist, but the updated country sound and close harmony simplicity of this album, now reissued, is yet to be eclipsed by either.