North Atlantic Oscillation - The Third Day
3 Stars
Punchy and more immediate.
3rd October 2014
3 Stars rated Albums & EPs
Dad Rocks! - Year of the Flesh
3 Stars
These songs never feel patronising or forced, and the potentially cliched topics don’t sound weird.
1st October 2014
Allo Darlin’ - We Come From The Same Place
3 Stars
The juxtaposition between the lyrics and the music may be initially jarring, but on repeated listens makes perfect sense.
29th September 2014
Christopher Owens - A New Testament
3 Stars
It sounds, at times, like the kind of music from which the Coen Brothers could hinge a plot.
26th September 2014
The Vaselines - V For Vaselines
3 Stars
The in one ear and out the other of albums.
24th September 2014
The History Of Apple Pie - Feel Something
3 Stars
Clearly well rehearsed, the finished product feels a bit too squeaky-clean.
23rd September 2014
GRMLN - Soon Away
3 Stars
A search for spiritualism leaves behind a gaping void, one that cries out for vigour and invention.
15th September 2014
Famy - We Fam Econo
3 Stars
A collection of spirited songs that given their gung-ho mentality sometimes come out flawed but charming all the same.
11th September 2014
Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams
3 Stars
Thematically this is the Ryan Adams we have grown to love, all dusty highways, smoky bars and moments of gentle personal introspection.
4th September 2014
Ballet School - The Dew Lasts An Hour
3 Stars
When ‘The Dew Lasts An Hour’ is good, it is very good.
3rd September 2014
Avi Buffalo - At Best Cuckold
3 Stars
While ‘Avi Buffalo’ was a believable if self-indulgent debut, its successor doesn’t quite sit right.
2nd September 2014
The Rentals - Lost In Alphaville
3 Stars
Really bloody lost in direction — but with several soaring, special moments.
29th August 2014
The Vines - Wicked Nature
3 Stars
While there is a flawless garage album hidden away in here somewhere, it’s buried within an unnecessarily long double album.
28th August 2014
Rustie - Green Language
3 Stars
A frustrating, yet undeniably fun listen.
28th August 2014
Mozart’s Sister - Being
3 Stars
Mixed, fidgety, but rewarding.
21st August 2014
J Mascis - Tied to a Star
3 Stars
A release for the hardcore fans.
19th August 2014
JJ - V
3 Stars
A consistently strong listen, albeit a somewhat uneventful one.
15th August 2014
Electric Würms - Musik, Die Schwer zu Twerk
3 Stars
Their six meticulously constructed psychedelic soundscapes that drag you along on their intoxicating journey are, more than anything, relentless.
13th August 2014
Grumbling Fur - Preternaturals
3 Stars
An album of slightly ramshackle, slightly eccentric psychedelic pop.
6th August 2014
The Gaslight Anthem - Get Hurt
3 Stars
The atmospheric, expansive sound signals a progression in in favour of a more nuanced approach.
6th August 2014
Spoon - They Want My Soul
3 Stars
The sound of a band coming to terms with their current state, their distinct past and foggy future combined like never before.
31st July 2014
Owl John - Owl John
3 Stars
An interesting insight into a accomplished musician’s repertoire.
29th July 2014
Flamingods - Hyperborea
3 Stars
The one thing that makes this album unique within its genre is probably what holds it back; it’s constructed solely via email.
24th July 2014
Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
3 Stars
If anyone is splintering hip-hop into a collage of strange pieces, shaping a genre into the complete opposite of a mirror’s image, it’s Shabazz Palaces.
23rd July 2014
Featuring Yard Act, Death Cab For Cutie, Graham Coxon, Maisie Peters and more.