Fortieth anniversaries for post-punk outfits are coming thick and fast, with veteran Factory/Mute stalwarts A Certain Ratio the latest band to commemorate the end of their fourth decade. They do…
Reissue Review: Ash – ’94-’04: Singles Boxset
Supergrass were fond of proclaiming that they were everybody’s third-favourite Britpop band. By the same token, Ash probably rank fifth in most people’s affections. It would certainly be impossible to…
Review: Marina – Love + Fear
Marina Diamandis has been giving life a lot of thought recently, and she’s reached a number of conclusions. One is that she no longer needs the imaginary ‘Diamonds’ who’ve accompanied…
Review: Sting – My Songs
There’s something about his latest album’s title that brings to mind images of an infant Sting, wearing nappies, throwing a tantrum. “My songs!” he bawls, tossing his lute from his…
Review: Soak – Grim Town
Right from the outset, Bridie Monds-Watson’s second album sets out its stall in no uncertain terms, and not just with that blunt title. Opener “all aboard” features a train conductor…
Review: The National – I Am Easy To Find
Listening to The National can feel like being cornered at a party by an earnest individual determined to make you understand, whether you like it or not, a particular subject’s…
Review: Parekh & Singh – Science City
Recapturing youth’s emotionally intricate pleasures is never easy, but this duo from Kolkata, India, revel in it. Their second album sounds so superficially innocent one might mistake it for wimpish,…
Review: Maps – Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss.
Remember when James Chapman, nominated for a Mercury Prize with 2007’s We Can Create, was considered a bedroom artist? Well, the first thing one notices about his fourth studio album…
Review: Morrissey – California Son
In making his 12th studio album a covers record, you’d think Morrissey might be looking to avoid controversy. It would, after all, be a relief not to separate art from…
Review: The Waterboys – Where The Action Is
When you’ve made your living from music for almost four decades, you can feel reasonably confident your audience will follow you wherever you roam. So it is with Mike Scott,…