Album Reviews

Howes: TD-W700/Leazes (Melodic)
Hugely accomplished debut release from 19 year old future garage producer
Posted on Jul 15th, 2013
Sahara: Intox EP (self-release)
Formidable first effort from math-pop outfit
Posted on Jul 9th, 2013
Oberhofer – Notalgia EP (Glassnote)
Brad Oberhofer and friends serve up a high-quality slice of indie pop with their latest EP
Posted on Jul 8th, 2013
Nadine Shah - Dreary Town (Apollo)
Nadine Shah is a storyteller. The British born songwriter of Pakistani and Norwegian heritage first treated us to her debut EP Aching Bones late last year to critical acclaim. This second offering, Dreary Town, is released in anticipation of her debut album Love Your Dum and Mad and boasts three teasers to what might be one of 2013's best albums.
Posted on Apr 22nd, 2013
The Caulfield Beats - Garage Electronics Vol 1 (Noise Praise)
East London 'indie electronic crossover' crew The Caulfield Beats are a modest bunch. They claim that they're "not trying to be clever, just making little collages." But on their first EP, Lawrence and Charlotte Northall and Molly Dixon have come up with some exceptionally groovy electro gubbins - and no mistake.
Posted on Apr 19th, 2013
Mark Elliott - Maybe She Will EP (Self-Released)
'Singer-songwriter' is a catch-all phrase devoid of any real meaning. Literally, it's someone who sings and writes songs – but would you call Nicki Minaj a singer-songwriter? No. It's a term that's been reappropriated for vaguely folky, vaguely poppy solo acts clutching an acoustic guitar and a few ditties about how breakups suck – Ed Sheeran, take a bow. But we've had some smashing artists breaking that mould in recent years: Lucy Rose, Bon Iver and heck, even Ellie Goulding. Leicester lad Mark Elliott, fortunately, sits smack bang amidst the latter list. Though there are the traditional acoustic guitar-pop ballads with flecks of folk, it's done with a cheeky grace and a smattering of ingenuity.
Posted on Feb 13th, 2013
Four Tet – 0181 (Text)
Lots of musicians give away free music nowadays, but not many give away a full album, so when Four Tet unleashed 0181 onto the Internet a few weeks back it certainly took everyone by surprise. He had teased the release the day before by simply tweeting “0181”, but no one knew what he meant by this, so fans of the electronic producer were still surprised when a new album appeared the next day.
Posted on Jan 31st, 2013
Johnny Fox - More Or Less (Self-Release)
Most musicians are influenced by their surroundings – some more than others. That’s certainly the impression you get when listening to More or Less, the latest EP from Wexford-born, Sao Paulo-based singer-songwriter Johnny Fox.
Posted on Dec 5th, 2012
Ragweed - Double Chalker EP (Self-Release)
As EP’s go, Ragweed’s Double Chalker does exactly what it needs to do: it grabs your attention as swiftly as a punch in the face. Each of the four tracks provides a fast paced combination of clear grunge and punk influences, with the result being an energetic style of hard rock. You get a real sense listening throughout the EP that this three-piece band are completely on the same wave length as each other, complimenting each other’s talents and style.
Posted on Dec 4th, 2012
I Like Trains - Beacons (I Like Records)
Straying from their tried-and-tested path of melancholic post-rock with the addition of electronica elements, Leeds-born foursome I Like Trains truly coloured outside their lines on recent album, The Shallows, with their somewhat ironic foray into technology – you'd think an album warning against the reliance on technology would feature less of the electro, not more. Regardless, the dour desperados valiantly battle forth with their fresher sound on the Beacons EP, bolstering their evolution and going more post-electronipunk than post-rock. Though presumably they still adorn funeral garb and shuffle silently onto their stage to weep at the crowd with their odes to historical figures.
Posted on Oct 15th, 2012
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