Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: Ozean's eponymous EP, originally recorded in 1993 but now receiving its first vinyl release, is a testament to the band's splendid blend of shimmering, ethereal shoegaze. From the moment 'Scenic' envelops listeners with its swirling distortion and awesome melodies, it's clear that Ozean's music is something special. The dreamy soundscapes of 'Fall' and 'Porcelain' further immerse the listener, transporting them to a world of otherworldly beauty and introspection. Inspired by influences like Slowdive, Cocteau Twins and Lush, Ozean's music captures the essence of the British shoegaze scene while adding their own unique twist. Lisa Baer's otherworldly vocals, influenced by Astrud Gilberto and The Jesus And Mary Chain, perfectly complement the band's atmospheric sound. Despite their brief existence and only two live shows, Ozean's impact is felt profoundly in this remastered EP. Recorded on a Fostex Model 80 1/4" 8-Track reel-to-reel tape recorder, the original cassette recordings have been meticulously remastered for this vinyl release, thanks to Tim Green of Louder Studios. Each track is a timeless snapshot of late adolescent wonder and experimentation, preserving Ozean's legacy for generations to come.

Review: A limited edition (300 only) coloured vinyl collection of tracks from early Oasis days rendered in acoustic, unplugged style, culled from a variety of sources - the Simon Mayo Show, Gary Crowle and Mark Lamarr's GLR shows, the Orpheum Theatre, Boston, a Creation Records Birthday Party at London's Royal Albert Hall and the BBC Radio1 Live Lounge. From 'Wonderwall' to 'Live Forever', the songs are the most cherished and celebrated among the Mancunians' canon. They're no less strong as a result of these stripped down arrangements, though, and this compilation sheds a new light on an already much loved period in indie rock history.

Review: Another case of second time around, this time for the final Creation Records release from Oasis, a collection of B-sides that returns in freshly remastered form. While not all bands could get away with this kind of exercise, the Mancunian Britpop heroes released enough memorable bonus cuts to make it a worthwhile and entertaining exercise. For proof, check the densely layered, riff-driven yelp of 'Acquiesce', the wistful 'Talk Tonight' and 'Half The World Away', the brass band-sporting Beatles-in-1966 shuffle of 'Going Nowhere', the sing-along fun of 'Stay Young', and the band's triumphant, six-and-a-half minute live cover of 'I Am The Walrus' - arguably their best "flipside" of all.

Review: Oasis's Noel Gallagher has said many times before that he considers the title track from the band's The Masterplan album as one of the best he has ever written. Despite that, it isn't one of their most famous, nor is the album one of the band's most widely loved. But listening back to this reissue that is maybe something that needs reconsidering. It does have a few well-loved classics such as 'Half The World Away,' which was made famous by a certain TV show, plus a live cover of The Beatles' 'I Am The Walrus' and the popular 'Acquiesce'. On its 25th anniversary, it has been newly remastered for the occasion.

Review: The 11th full-length from California pop-punk royalty The Offspring comes three years on from 2021's Let The Bad Times Roll, and shall serve as their first project to feature bassist Todd Morse as an official member as well as multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn (who has previously toured with Black Flag, Marilyn Manson and Suicidal Tendencies), while drumming duties were split with the legendary Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle). 10 tracks, spread out just over a half hour, Supercharged looks set to live up to its title following the band's road break and creative pandemic-enforced respite, with a succinct in-anthem-out mantra.

Review: Oklou is a French musician and is known to her parents as Marylou Mayniel. She dropped her debut album back in February and on it collaborates with artists such as Bladee and underscores, while some expert studio contributions from producers like the revered A.G. Cook, plus Danny L Harle and Casey MQ. Choke Enough blends Y2K influences with medieval melodies to reflect Oklou's evolution from her 2020 mixtape, Galore. This new long player offers up a deep dive into her meticulous approach to electronic, modern, 'hyper' pop while incorporating classical rigour. Standout tracks like the title track and 'Endless' are great reflections of her unique artistic vision while balancing formal complexity with subdued emotional impact.

Review: St Louis' indie icon Angel Olsen has always hinted at her country leanings in her music, but on her sixth album she goes more wholeheartedly into the tradition of Americana. At the same time, the album's themes centre around Olsen's journey of discovery as she came out as queer in her mid-thirties, and this gets explored wholeheartedly in the video for the title track with its testing of gender norms. Co-produced with Jonathan Wilson and featuring Drew Erickson and Emily Elhaj on keys and bass respectively, it's a stunning step on for Olsen as she explores the roots of her sound and her world as it stands now.

Review: Recorded at Vox Studios, Los Angeles, Angel Olsen's third album is a game of two halves, a city of contrasts, and a juxtaposition of emotions, realised through music. Structurally, it plays out with a pair of distinct sides, with the A serving to represent upbeat positivity, the kind of tracks you want playing as you cruise through town on a blue sky-thinking day. Flip it to find things are much more sedate, reflective, and thoughtful, albeit definitely far from sombre.

That certainly helps pack variety into the release. My Woman followed on from Burn Your Fire for No Witness and Half Way Home, both of which had been resolutely lo-fi indie. By comparison, this was her attempt to break free of those delicate, self-created shackles and deliver something fuller, louder, and much poppier. She achieved just that, and if you're not already familiar we recommend listening to the stunning results.

Review: It's hard to imagine the esteemed Jagjaguwar label without Angel Olsen. The American singer-songwriter feels like a central figure. She epitomises the absolute quality that they put out year-in, year-out. Her long-standing partnership with them has led to her landing a new imprint named somethingscosmic. Here she's given free reign to release when and how she wants, with help from Jagjaguwar. An absolute dream for her no doubt. This, the second release on somethingscosmic, it's billed as a compilation reimagined as a dialogue; the A-side features artists chosen by Olsen, with each artist choosing their own song for the collection. Side B is a collection of songs from the same artists, but chosen by Olsen and recorded by her. Of the artists on there, Poppy Jean Crawford's 'Glamorous' is dark post-punk with a Kills-esque vocal... it feels like what the definition of rock n' roll should be. Meanwhile, Coffin Prick's 'Blood' (Yep, you read that right... what a band name!) is a great example of reckless psychedelic fuzz. And Sarah Grace White has a stunning, magnetic voice and the music is pared back to let it shine at the forefront of the mix. Olsen clearly has A&R clout and magical release ideas - long may her new venture thrive.

Review: Citirax's next outing takes the form of a debut album from Los Angeles-based duo OP-ART. This pair, like so much great music of recent times, is born out of the creative isolation of lockdown and features Andrew Clinco, who you may know for his work with Drab Majesty. The alias they have adopted is an acronym of "Oblique Pleasures Amidst Rough Times" which they say reflected the challenges of their formation. Musically the duo is inspired by the 1960s visual art movement so embraces layered, psychedelic soundscapes with a minimalist approach and takes cues from New Wave artists like John Foxx and early OMD. OP-ART in particular focuses on analogue synthesis and gear like the Arp Odyssey and Moog Rogue while exploring time, romance, and existential themes with real emotional depth.

Review: Nostalgia can be a dangerous thing. We don't need to cite examples why. In contrast, retrospect is important and retro sounds are, today, often capable of making us think about how we saw the future in the past. In some cases, that means staring down the barrel of the big question: did we heed any warnings, or has all the artwork and movies and music that sought to raise flags over the disappearance of humanity and individuality at the hands of 'progress' been for nought? Summoning the spirit of Depeche Mode, Eurythmics and more, Orphia present a stunning synth album which is at once catchy and poppy, even dance floor ready, but saturated in a kind of melancholy and juxtaposition of electronic and human. Robotic rhythms topped with organic emotions, there's a feeling of spiralling headfirst into lightning paced chaos and disorientation as the collection plays out. And that's about as apt as things get right now.