stone foundation
The Revival of Survival
Reviewed by Mo Longfellow
Album released 28th March 25
Stone Foundation's latest album, ‘The Revival of Survival’, is an exploration of soul, funk, and modern storytelling that will have you moving your feet within the first few bars.
This is their eleventh studio album, 3 years since they released their last album ‘Outside Looking In’. You can hear in that time they’ve put in tons of work and effort to make a sound that is pleasing in so many ways. The album is a blend of soul, disco, and R&B that's evocative & romantic, it’s modern, super tight and I cannot recommend it enough.
They really pushed the boat out in terms of collaborators on this one, with the likes of Omar, Laville, J.P. Bimeni, Carmy Love and regular, Mick Talbot (The Style Council) all making their mark.
From the opening track, the band kicks off with cool rhythms and rich instrumental arrangements that really complement the soulful vocals of Neil Jones and guests. The lyrics are both poignant and uplifting and the music follows it perfectly. There is a choir throughout and when it kicks in it gives the numbers even more of a lift, saying it adds an extra layer is really an understatement. You feel connected with the whole band, like you’ve known them all your life.
I listened to the album again just now in the car on the way home from work, the sun is finally shining and it’s warm which, especially after a day in the office, is an amazing feeling, but you know, even if the sun hadn’t been beaming I’d have got that same good-time feeling listening to this album.
One of my favourite tracks is ‘Summer Song’ featuring Omar. His rich tones and soulful voice give a real feeling of jazz to the number, the backing vocals giving that bit extra in the midsection of the song, elevating it even further. It’s a real heart felt, emotional number which ends the album perfectly.
Conversely the title track is a proper funky little number, bringing funk and disco together. It starts with a super cool drum groove, the hi hats doing the heavy lifting. Then piano, synths and a bass line that I defy anyone not to tap their foot along to, step it all up a gear with some lovely little guitar licks helping it along. The vocals and lyrics are a pure joy and the song demands only to be played loud and enjoyed. And do play it loud cos when the backing vocals and brass section kick in, I promise you, you’ll be glad you have. This track is definitely gonna be on my played most list for the next few weeks or months….in fact, the whole album will be.
As I mentioned at the top, you can tell they’ve all put some proper effort into the making of this album, the quality of production is second to none.
This is truly an album not to be missed, as soon as I’ve submitted this review I’ll be ordering my copy on record before looking where and when they’re next playing live!
the darkness
Dreams on Toast via Cooking Vinyl
Reviewed by Andi Bridges
Album released 28th March 25
When The Darkness sprang into the public conscious some 20 odd years ago, no one was making music that sounded like them. Good time classic rock (n roll) with a big side order of spandex and you either loved it or hated it. I loved it, it was soooo over the top, so…….throwback! I was hooked from the moment I first heard and saw them, (supporting Def Leppard) and I can trace it back to the moment Justin Hawkins got a roadie to carry him, on his shoulders, into the crowd whilst he peeled off a guitar solo. This was the behaviour of a megastar not a support act. He believed, I believed.
So, what do we get on their eighth disc? Comments frontman Justin Hawkins. “God might not be the power she once was, but say what you like about her, she knows damn well that what the world needs now, is rock sweet rock. And who are we, mere mortals of extraordinary ability, to argue with the divine? Of course, the guitars are big and crunchy, you would expect nothing less. The lyrics are still placed firmly into a cheek, there are however a few surprises sprinkled across the album. Some of the songs are country tinged, and Justin seems to be singing in a lower register, however rest assured the falsetto is still there when required.
The addition of Rufus Taylor a couple of albums back has really tightened up the rhythm section, his muscular drumming coupled with Frankie Poullain’s bass playing lays a solid foundation for Dan Hawkins to riff over and Justin to be, well Justin.
Somethings remain stubbornly in place, their ambition to be Queen is still evident. None more so than on set closer Weekend In Rome. Propelled by a Freddie like piano riff, a spoken word middle section and a crescendo of strings. Justin even does a quick passable impression of Mr Mercury. Lead single, The Longest Kiss again nods towards Queen and 70s rock in general.
Opening two numbers, Rock And Roll Party Cowboy and I Hate Myself bring the bombast. The former a list of recognised rock cliches - Jack Danials, Bandana, Ponytail, Harley Davidson, Spiderweb Tattoos and Sew On Patches all get a mention, which in the hands of any other band would be cheesy somehow works because it is The Darkness. Built around a riff that is going to have aficionados of air guitar widdling away, it’s a great opener. The latter a tune about a breakup, with a great chorus, “I hate myself, I hate myself, for two, I hate myself so you don’t have to”.
Special mention must be given to Hot On My Tail, a ditty to farting whilst trying to get it on romantically with your partner. This is the first time the afore mentioned country flavour appears.
The album serves up a veritable feast of rock delicacies. Anyone who has ever thrown the horns or banged their head will find something within the grooves to enjoy. Me, I’m off to change my email address to rocknrollpartycowboy@partycentral.com.
Dirty Projectors, David Longstreth & Stargaze
Song Of The Earth via Transgressive Records
Reviewed by Neil Milner
Album released 4th April 25
This album is epic, experimental and transformative. It’s classical contemporary baroque pop on speed. It’s undoubtably innovative, but it’s experimentation nods both to the past, and an unknown and slightly intimidating future.
David Longstreth is a singer, songwriter, and producer who started the Dirty Projectors. s t a r g a z e is a European orchestral collective of contemporary musicians. Together they are a logical and harmonious fit. The album also features Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie), Steve Lacy, Patrick Shiroishi, Anastasia Coope, Tim Bernardes, Ayoni, Portraits of Tracy, and the author David Wallace-Wells.
There are 24 tracks, so I can only highlight some of them. Gimme Bread sets the tone. Made up of movements, a spiky staccato scream follows a plaintiff piano opening. Then follows a blissful timeless reverie, the staccato returns before frantically picking up pace, and is then punctuated by contrasting wind instruments akin to a soprano and baritone operatic exchange.
Only musical genius can construct or envisage something as wonderful as this.
Our Green Garden begins and ends as a nostalgic extraordinary paean to the world, but is briefly interjected by bursts of dissonance, mostly from the vocals. And it’s under two minutes long!
There are echoes of David Bowie in Opposable Thumb. More Mania is reminiscent of an unconventional Brian Wilson composition. The xylophone drives Mallet Hocket accompanied by more dissonant vocals.
Dancing on our Eyelids exhibits a beautiful monotone lilt and loop, before percussion and vocal synchronise, tormenting us with tremulous textures. Twin Aspens sound like it is lifted straight from a 1960s film soundtrack, with both welcoming and challenging sounds and vocals.
Uninhabitable Earth, Paragraph One, is a key track providing a word-for-word setting of paragraph one of David Wallace-Wells’ 2019 bestseller The Uninhabitable Earth. Longstreath has collaborated with Bjork, and that experience must have had an influence when listening to songs like this. It creates an atmosphere borrowed but not copied from her world.
The arrangements sometime astound me such as on Kyrie / About My Day. I have my suspicions they are from a future time travelling back to now, just to confuse and disturb anyone who cares. I’m staggered by how some of these tracks have been created and arranged, and I have the same sense of wonder and incredulity that I had when first trying to imagine and understand how bread or glass was invented.
Bank On is the longest song, containing more astonishing arrangements. Paper Birches, Whole Scroll is driven by an understated but wonderous vocal melody. Blue of Dreaming is a tender mournful ballad, gently preparing us for the end. Raised Brow ends the record in a strange monosyllabic and uncompromising way, which is apt.
There have been comparisons with American composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich, and in some tracks, I see that. But any moments of minimalism are soon betrayed by accessible engaging intensity and complexity.
At times, the album reminds me of compositions and sonic richness of This Mortal Coil, but Song of Earth is more out there. It’s truly exceptional and groundbreaking, and so will naturally be ignored by most people, but probably loved and appreciated by future generations of artists who will cite it as an important influence.
Track listing:
1. Summer Light
2. Gimme Bread
3. At Home
4. Circled in Purple
5. Our Green Garden
6. Walk the Edge (with Anastasia Coope)
7. Opposable Thumb
8. More Mania
9. Spiderweb at Water's Edge (with Patrick Shiroishi)
10. Mallet Hocket
11. So Blue the Lake
12. Dancing on our Eyelids
13. Same River Twice
loudspeaker icon
14. Armfuls of Flowers (feat. Steve Lacey)
15. Twin Aspens (feat. Mount Eerie & Patrick Shiroishi)
loudspeaker icon
16. Uninhabitable Earth, Paragraph One Focus track
17. Kyrie / About My Day
18. Shifting Shalestones
19. Appetite (with Tim Bernardes)
20. Bank On (with Portraits Of Tracy)
21. Paper Birches, Whole Scroll
22. Raven Ascends (with Patrick Shiroishi)
23. Blue of Dreaming (with Ayoni)
24. Raised Brow
air drawn dagger
A Guide For Apparitions via Long Branch Records
Reviewed by Anya Weston-Shaw
Album released 4th April 25
Air Drawn Dagger, an electro-emo/angst-pop trio featuring vocalist Maisie Manterfield, guitarist Lewis Budden, and drummer Ross Dore, deliver a debut album that transports listeners to a haunting, otherworldly realm.
A Guide for Apparitions moves seamlessly from the ethereal title track “Hymn of the Hag” to the introspective closer “Bellyaches,” with each song crafting a vivid, chaotic soundscape. Maisie’s vocals serve as both a guide and a comforting presence amidst the turbulence, notably on tracks like "Teeth."
Drawing influence from pop-punk legends, Air Drawn Dagger injects a fresh, imaginative twist into the genre. The album’s progression feels like a spirit guide navigating the twists and turns of its sonic world, with occasional glimpses of Manterfield’s regional accent adding authenticity and depth to the lyrics.
A standout moment on the album is the drum intro to “Coma,” where Ross Dore’s skilful, intricate rhythms set the tone for the track’s emotional intensity, immediately drawing the listener in. The album's energy also seems primed for live performances, especially tracks like “Castle” and “Necromancer,” both of which feature explosive breakdowns that are sure to ignite the crowd.
While there are moments of introspection, such as the slower “Cadavers” with its melancholic piano outro, the momentum quickly shifts back to high energy with “MaidenMotherCrone,” a standout track that encapsulates the album’s dynamic range.
In summary, A Guide for Apparitions is an evocative, genre-defying debut that captures both the chaos and comfort of navigating through an alternative reality.
voice of the beehive
Honey Lingers via London Records
Reviewed by Stuart Condie
Album released 4th April 25
Released all the way back in 1991, Honey Lingers was the second album release by Voice of the Beehive. This was a band and an album that largely passed me by first time round so I’m not approaching this re-release as I would something familiar and established as a favourite. Depending on your preferred format, you’re either getting the original album on vinyl or a jam-packed 2 CD set with a whole heap of alternative versions and mixes as well as new songs and some live takes to boot.
Fronted by Californian lead vocalist sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland, the band produced three studio albums between 1988 and 1996, although by the time of the last of these, Sex & Misery, it was just the sisters left, the remaining British band members having returned home to pursue their individual careers (including drumming for Madness). The debut, Let It Bee, charted a little higher than this one in the UK. Sadly, the third didn’t trouble the official UK charts at all.
What you get here are proper punchy pop-rock songs long enough to get their hooks in but never outstaying their welcome. The longest track on the original album clocks in at 3’39”. The uniting concept is sexual politics and the everlasting uncertainties of love, sex and romance. If the actual messy business of sex itself is alluded to (try saying the name of the album quickly) it’s done in the lyrically cleverest ways. It’s all (surprisingly heavy) guitar-driven and generally upbeat, up-tempo stuff with big choruses and sass to spare. The extra tracks feature collaborations – a couple of Don Was mixes and a guest appearance by Jimmy Somerville being perhaps the most successful.
We kick off with Monsters and Angels and an opening line that in some ways sets the scene for everything that follows. “I’m nobody’s wife, and I’m nobody’s baby, I like it that way, but then again… maybe”. Independence but always playing the mating game. Big chords sit over a relentless and urgent rhythmic pattern which is almost explicitly supporting the idea that, “There’s a peacefulness and a rage inside us all”. Adonis Blue treads similar ground musically, this time the constant shuffle coming from the insistent drum pattern. The middle eight hints at darker harmonic territory before a restrained but interesting guitar break takes us back to the more mainstream playout.
I Think I love You is a cover and was one of three singles from the album. The verse sits on top of a descending sequence of chords pushed along on the piano before the power chords gain ascendance again. “I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of?” Another example of lyrical tension or internal contradiction / doubt with big chunks of something that sounds a lot like Abba to me. Look At Me comes over as something more aggressive and challenging and there’s a definite dig at televangelists and others being driven by ego.
Beauty To My Eyes is much more musically mellow than the preceding tracks with big washes of what could almost be slide guitar sitting under the chorus and strings filling the short chorus with additional texture. I have to say that I don’t think the middle eight feels like it was intended for this song; the shift between that and the rest of the song feels too abrupt and tonally awkward.
Just Like You has a great almost live feel and some great lines like, “You are the church of love and suddenly I’m feeling holy”. The normal guitar domination is supplemented with some very tasteful horns and the overall feel is like being at a party where everyone wants to be dancing. Little Gods feels like the weakest track on the original album to me. I’ve played it through a good few times and just don’t get it. It’s of a piece with the rest of the album but just doesn’t have the same impact as the rest.
The songwriting credit for this one is for Marvin Etzioni who tends to be thought of more of an alt-country performer and composer. Maybe it was just a little bit of a stretch to make that fit here.
The start of I’m Shooting Cupid felt to me that it could have come straight from early REM. The notable point here is not just the chiming guitars but also the additional space afforded the vocals throughout. As elsewhere, the vocal harmonies are terrific. Interestingly there’s a hint of something heavier in the guitar figure right at the end which doesn’t get developed.
The opening chords of Say It immediately took me to Should I Stay or Should I Go? but the reference is fleeting before we hit familiar territory. Lines like, “Silence is golden and promises go rusty” are just typical of the whip smart and cynical attitude throughout the whole album. Perfect Place sounds initially as if it’s going to hit a more contemplative tone but again there is a big chorus to reassure. This was a single release too and I definitely knew this one. Was it ever used as a TV theme song perhaps?
That being the end of the album as originally released, I‘m not trawling forensically through the rest of the CD package, but there are some highlights. Only If You Want To is a bit of a stomp over a straight and tight 4 in a bar drum beat while Pocketsize has a distinct rockabilly vibe. The Don Was mix of I Think I Love You has a lot of the tricks we all used to love on 12” single remixes; huge sounding drums, breakdown passages with the vocals right up front and the mock-scratching orchestral stabs that even Yes fell prey to in the 90s.
Although a high energy, Jimmy Somerville-assisted cover of a classic Stones song wasn’t ever on my Christmas list, I will own to quite liking what’s been done to Gimme Shelter. The “Acoustic Version” tracks (at least one of which manifestly isn’t) do make it very clear that it was the vocal style of this band which was distinctive rather than the production and that the song structures are strong. The comparisons with the B52s on the 7” version of Just Like You are too obvious to ignore.
As if to underline my earlier point about the overfall theme of the album, it’s hard to ignore anything labelled an “Orgy Mix”, particularly where the song concerned was originally recorded by the ever so wholesome Partridge Family. I’m not sold on this mix being anymore salacious than anything else here, but full marks for attention grabbing. There are a lot of versions of Perfect Place and I Think I love You across the two discs but there’s no doubt that VB - Goddess Of Love (Vocal Mix) is the most “out there” of all of them. Does this mean that Voice of the Beehive could have been a convincing electronica act? Well, maybe but I did find myself missing the guitars and analogue drums so obviously on display elsewhere.
The half dozen live takes at the end of CD2 do show a rockier side to the band but still with the immaculate harmonies. That makes the decision to end this set with a cover of Sit Down which doesn’t really allow for that aspect of the band to come out all the more puzzling.
As an exercise in nostalgia this is a great, if somewhat repetitive set. I don’t particularly know what prompted this reissue now – 34th anniversary releases not being a common phenomenon – and I don’t know that stretching it out over two packed CDs was strictly necessary but if jangly guitars, fabulous harmonies and big attitude are your things, there’s lots to love in the original album itself.
CD1
01 Monsters And Angels
02 Adonis Blue
03 I Think I Love You
04 Look At Me
05 Beauty To My Eyes
06 Just Like You
07 Little Gods
08 I’m Shooting Cupid
09 Say It
10 Perfect Place
11 Waitress
12 Only If You Want To
13 Pocketsize
14 Something About God
15 Shine Away
16 Dumb Club (Alternative Version) **
17 I Think I Love You (Don Was Guilty Pleasure Mix)
18 Perfect Place (7” Version)
19 Gimme Shelter (with Jimmy Somerville)
20 Say It (Acoustic Version) **
21 I’m Shooting Cupid (Acoustic Version) **
22 Perfect Place (Acoustic Version) **
CD2
01 Monsters And Angels (Alternative Version) **
02 I Think I Love You (Original Version 7” Remix) **
03 Look At Me (Original Remix) **
04 Just Like You (Phil Harding 7” Version) **
05 Little Gods (Spector Christmas Version) **
06 Perfect Place (Piano Version) **
07 Monsters And Angels (12” Version) **
08 I Think I Love You (Orgy Mix)
09 Perfect Place (Pat Collier Version) **
10 I Think I Love You (Don Was 1st Mix) **
11 VB - Goddess Of Love (Vocal Mix) **
12 I’m Shooting Cupid (Live) **
13 Little Gods (Live) **
14 Monsters And Angels (Live) **
15 Only If You Want To (Live) **
16 Adonis Blue (Live) **
17 Sit Down (Live)
** Previously unreleased
the chords UK
But Then Again (The best Of)
Reviewed by Chris Morley
Album released 4th April 25
Music is of course rife with burning debates- & on this evidence another is about to be submitted for consideration.
Namely, should there be a cut- off point for compilations, as for even die- hard Chords fans 44 songs will surely feel like a bit of a stretch!
Perhaps a more natural home would be on any Nuggets- ish exhumation of forgotten gold from the Mod- revival period. Artyfacts From The British Empire in a natty jacket & playing the Marquee, given that the band meets the admittedly loose criteria set out by Lenny Kaye in putting together his definitive study of the garage- band era over in the States...
If any similar exercise covering its slightly sharper- suited equivalent this side of the pond, Now It's Gone & Maybe Tomorrow at least would probably be shoe- ins having helped catch the ear of the likes of Paul Weller & Jimmy Pursey.
Everything else feeling like an exercise in extreme completism stitched around a few cult hits- which in themselves probably helped define an oft-forgotten little brother to the wider kick- start delivered by the likes of the Jam.
As such a shorter, sharper set is surely what's needed to better reflect that quick flash of impact, white- hot but snuffed out far too quickly, the original Chords one of its first casualties once the moment passed.
yann tiersen
Rathlin From a Distance / The Liquid Hour via Mute
Reviewed by Dave Flerin
Album released 4th April 25
The Wall of Sound editor has certainly provided me with a challenge by asking me to review an album by French pianist and composer, Yann Tiersen. Given I know nothing about piano, I’m gagging to hear what’s on this album. Turns out Yann is also a sailor, and his connection with sailing and the sea informs this whole record. And to add further complication, it’s split into two distinct halves. “Rathlin From a Distance” is comprised of eight piano pieces named after locations visited by Tiersen on his seafaring odysseys.
By way of contrast, “The Liquid Hour” is more hypnotic, ambient electronica; inspired by a particular moment when he gazed upon the lights of Belfast, alone at the helm of his sailboat in the middle of the night after nearly two months at sea, reflecting on the city’s troubled history and its connection to broader political struggles. Heavy stuff! Reviewing this one, I also feel like I’m setting sail myself, but with absolutely no clue as to what I’m doing. Around Yann’s world in 80 minutes (I'm here all week). Here goes…
“Ninnog” is our introduction and is the sound of calm waters; melancholic, but hopeful. And I swear I can almost see the sun reflecting on the ripples of the sea, it’s that evocative. The rest of “Rathlin From a Distance” – to me - is the sound of joy, reflection, sorrow, ruminating, and trying to make sense of things. All the pieces are quite distinct from each other, but you can feel a thread running through it all. I must admit, I’m absolutely sold on it. Thankfully, it’s the antithesis of Jools Holland’s ivory tinkling.
This is serious art. There’s substance, layers, and contemplation to be found here; it’s a honky-tonk-free zone. To put in on at a party would be social suicide, unless you wanted everyone to leave; but you could find a place for it in those quiet moments we all have when we’re relaxing and just… thinking.
In the press release Yann says, when it’s just you, your ship, and the sea, “the waves demand honesty,” and you just know he’s giving you something special to hear. His technical piano-playing talent is itself a gift, but when that’s paired with the ability to compose new music reaching these levels of artistry, the result is pretty extraordinary.
Leaving behind the solo piano compositions, we’re now onto “The Liquid Hour” with “Stourm” starting off all Vangelis/Blade Runner-like before mutating into far more oblique French electronica territory. It has a real sophisticated beauty to it. “Arne”, too, is an incredible, pulsating beast of a song; made all the better for Émilie Quinquis’ haunting vocals.
This second part of the album is an intoxicating mix; pummelling, jabbing, and soothing the senses. On the surface, very at odds with the simple piano of the “Rathlin From a Distance” part of the record, but then again, not. Yann’s just using a different language to share his message. Such are the benefits of being bilingual. Overall, “The Liquid Hour” is great, and its highs are very high. The essence of what it is to be human runs right through the whole of this breath-taking album.
I wish I had the time and the money to go see him perform at The Barbican in London on April 19th. If you can buy, beg, borrow or steal to get there I’d fully recommend you do. What a thrill it must be to see any of this record in a live setting. “Rathlin From a Distance | The Liquid Hour” by Yann Tiersen is released on vinyl, CD and digitally on April 4th on Mute.
milton hide
Bungaroosh
Reviewed by Andi Bridges
Album released 19th April 25
Milton Hide; who he I hear you cry, only it’s not a he, it's a they. Jim Tipler and Jo Church, from East Sussex, to be precise, who hooked up together in 2016. Here they offer up their third album, the marvellously titled Bungaroosh, a building trade term that refers to walls that wereput up cheaply and quickly in the Regency period, made with various plentiful materials including flint, chalk, pebbles and sand, held together with a lime mortar and then rendered to give a smooth finish. The title track uses the term Bungaroosh as a metaphor for those that look great on the outside but you can’t tell what lies within.Musically it reminds me a little of Runrig.
Jo delivers a gorgeous clarinet solo and we even get a big stadium rock ending. There is a full band sound going on here, which is remarkable when you know that Jim and Jo recorded vocals, clarinet, guitar, piano and banjo at their home studio, before passing the tracks to multi-instrumentalist, John Fowler, who added more electric guitar, bass, drums and percussion, then invited Phil Jones to play double bass, Fred Gregory, mandolin and Bruce Knapp to add more electric guitar.
Opening number, and lead single, Simon’s Nick is based around acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, mandolin and cajon, giving a folky jig feel. I really like Jo’s voice on this as she tells the story of Simon and the fairies of the Old Man of Coniston. Track two, Festival Of Freaks, demonstrates the eclectic nature of this disc. Based around a fingerpicking ragtime style riff, it harks back vaudervillian times. Jo’s voice again shows how versatile it is on this track as she extols the virtues of being yourself and that makes us all unique freaks.
The third song switches things up again. Judge, Jury And Executioner, sees Jim take the lead vocal on a very catchy pop song taking aim at mainstream media and their fondness for making us judge people.One of the simplest songs on the album is Quicksand Calling. Played on 6 and 12 string guitars and written about the beauty and danger of Morecombe Bay, it becomes so much more than a tale of the tragic plight of the Chinese cocklepickers who lost their lives. In the same vein is Hayreed Lane, a simple ballad about leaving home. Jo’s voice displays a gentle sadness before she plays a haunting clarent solo. I should say that Jim is an excellent musician but Jo has blown me away on the set of songs.
Voodoo Queen, invites you to put on your dancing shoes and cut a rug with its surf beat and
twangy guitar. Proper album ending Spoil The Game returns to the big rock sound utilised on earlier cuts, whilst railing against the current political voting system.
On the CD (but not the download) there is a hidden track, a version of the traditional song Maid In Bedlam arranged for banjo and vocals. Worth getting if you love traditional folk music. The album could be viewed as a ramshackle collection of songs, alternatively one could say it’s a couple of musicians stretching their musical chops. Bungaroosh, all that glitters may not be gold, however there is gold in them thar grooves.
the pale white
The Big Sad - via End of the Wall recordings
Reviewed by James Fortune-Clubb
Album released 18th April 25
The Pale White - another new name to me, are the Newcastle alt/indie rock trio of brothers Adam (vocals and guitar) and Jack Hope (drums) along with Tom Booth (bass) and they're back with their second album entitled 'The Big Sad' which is released on 18 April via End of The Wall Recordings.
This time around the band, apparently tired of the more rock based sound of their previous releases, drop 13 new tracks - led by upcoming new single 'Lost in The Moment', aim to deliver something new, shocking, reflective and generally more diverse. Not being familiar with The Pale White's debut album 'Infinite Pleasure' released back in 2001, I can't attest to how successful their move away from 'slamming on the fuzz pedal' to something different and more interesting has been.
'The Big Sad' comprises a set of songs devoutly independent - being written, played and produced entirely by the band, which in itself is a confident, ambitious and refreshing statement of intent. On the whole the album delivers a strong selection of tracks which are both well produced and delivered. There is undoubtedly a marked attempt to ensure that the tone, structure and tempo of the songs is neither two dimensional, nor unambitious,
Album opener and lead single 'Lost in The Moment' is decidedly 'Queen's of The Stone Age' (of whom comparisons have previously been drawn) and the band deliver very well on the 'loud then quiet thing'. There's plenty of guitar-based walls of sound, which pulse along well enough and it's melodic and fairly radio friendly throughout - perhaps a few more sharp edges or angular song structures might have added more of an interesting edge, something to make them stand out from the alt-rock crowd? There's an interesting and welcome change of pace and tempo for a couple of mid set songs - 'Preparing for The Big Sad' and 'There's an Echo', where things slow down and there are definite Beatles influences noticeably here - not necessarily a bad thing thing at all.
Perhaps not as shocking nor as daringly new as the album aims to be - nevertheless, The Pale White are good at what they do and consistently deliver throughout the album - they are clearly a very experienced live act, having supported many of the bigger names on the circuit and perhaps now is their time? Maybe The Big Sad will give them the exposure, critical acclaim and wider fan base that presumably they're seeking.
Track listing:
Lost in The Moment
Final Exit
Woolly Thunder
I’m Sorry (This Time)
January, Please
Preparing for The Big Sad
There’s an Echo
Real Again
Trapped in The Vacuum
Interlude
Nostradamus
My Abacus
The Big Sad
hannah rose platt
Fragile Creatures - via Xtra Mile recordings
Reviewed by Levi Tubman
Album released 25th April 25
Acclaimed singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and storyteller Hannah Rose Platt is back with her new album, set to “explore how centuries-old myths and misconceptions of women in the pursuit of science have impacted female health” It sounds to promise a lot from an artist who always delivers.
The album opens up with Ataraxia, the Greek philosophy of the freedom from anxiety and tranquillity. Starting with a short tongue in cheek spoken line, on the importance of the wife’s role in making her husband happy. Embracing the tranquillity, the sung vocals are soft almost whispered, there’s calmness in the sound while the lyrics contain darker tones, of oppressed open speech and independence.
Curious Mixtures is a fun folky country number with some of Platt’s most ethereal vocals, her voice floats you away with its lightness, bringing a true calm the actual words seem to drift away as your focus dissolves. On a second listen, concentrating on the words you can hear just how she makes them dance and twirl around each other weaving her stories. Singing of mothers and daughters with their strange elixirs it’s a song that fully explores the unsung medical pioneering women with a voice itself fully of healing calm.
Drums processed to the point they’re just faint noise slowly filtered into focus, The Yellow wallpaper brings a more angry energy to the otherwise calm album. Based on the Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story of the same name, which deals with a new mothers depression and descent into madness and mania in a yellow room, an allegorical tale about the oppression felt from male Dr’s of the time. The almost industrial sound to the drums with sections of intense vocals you feel almost on edge, you're taken into that oppressed yellow space.
The tremolo guitar intro and vocals of The Sick Rose build a tension where you're ready for a fast drum fill to bring the sing in, instead the fill comes but its slow and sparse. Relying a lot on rim shots, distant guitar and snare you feel you're in a seedy underground club with Hannah centre stage. Asking will you comfort or criticise? Will you turn your face away from the truth, prescribe a risky remedy to sooth? It’s a fantastic example of Hannahs songwriting with some of the albums best vocals.
The Edinburgh 7 is folky country number tinged with anger and bite, with the vocals edged with distortion and lyrics with wrath. The Edinburgh 7 where the first group undergraduate female students at any British university, although the court of session ruled they should never have been admitted and never qualified as doctors. Their campaign, with support including Charles Darwin, is said to have paved the way for the legislation for women to practice medicine. This aligns so much with the albums ideals I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was partly involved in its inspiration. Over 150 years later Its still an important story to tell, brought to the modern worlds attention by someone who’s choice of weapon is words.
This sums up the album perfectly, someone who has a voice and knows how to use it has found a story that’s important and needs to be told. Fragile Creatures is a haunting and evocative album that intertwines the history of female pioneers, and the backlash and struggles they faced in the fields of health and medicine. Hannah has never been one to shy away from harder hitting and the darker sides of life, often partnering these topics with happy lighter musical themes, with her own personal take on a spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down. As I started this review, this is an artist who doesn’t disappoint and this album is no exception, while I might have preferred a few more cut down acoustic tracks that’s more of an opinion that doesn’t do much to detract from a phenomenal album.
Track List:
1. Ataraxia
2. Curious Mixtures
3. Young Men Need Their Wives
4. Magdelene
5. The Yellow Wallpaper
6. La Grande Hysterie
7. Rest In Persistence (An Anthem For Anne Greene)
8. The Sick Rose
9. The Edinburgh 7
10. Radiant
11. The Wandering Womb
femi kuti
Explore the World of Music
Reviewed by Chris Morley
Album released 25th April 25
In view of everything seemingly taking a long, slow journey southbound, its reassuring to know someone is still angry enough to try & tackle it head on- & that it both bites & swings along is testament to Femi Kuti, a bit of his dad's fire still evidently hanging on in his belly, corruption still every bit as present in the Africa & indeed world of today, just as it was when Fela set out to expose & harangue it.
This isn't too much of a surprise given that Journey Through Life is a concept album of sorts, its story our protagonist's own life enjoying & learning from experience, to paraphrase a choice lyric here- & it should be stressed that there's plenty of joy to be found amidst the apparent ongoing chaos. Unsurprisingly the majority of the sunshine to be had comes from his family- he's quoted in the interviews accompanying this release that he's a very homely person who nonetheless gets depressed when he sees the state of play on a bigger scale.
And yet there is room given for him to just play- the music allowing for the best of the cradle of humanity to shine through, a little light amidst the all too apparent darkness to bring something which often feels in short supply- so do yourself a favour & pop back to say hello to mother Africa.
the all seeing i
Pickled Eggs & Sherbet - via London Records
Reviewed by Stuart Clarkson
Album released 25th April 25
The All Seeing I have issued a remastered and expanded version of their one and only album from 1999.
The Sheffield electronic/big beat trio gathered together several of the city’s musical luminaries to produce an album of musical contrasts. The roll call of royalty included Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, Phil Oakey of the Human League, Babybird’s Stephen Jones and not forgetting crooner extraordinaire Tony Christie.
Their combined talent produced an album of soaring highs as well as some swooping lows containing an eclectic mix of tunes that was destined to be a cult from the moment it was released.
Several of the tracks were written by Jarvis Cocker and it’s no surprise that each is a perfectly formed vignette dripping with eccentricity.
Opener Walk Like A Panther was written by Cocker and reached No10 in the ‘Fun Forty’ on its initial release. Crooner Christie perfectly delivers the twisted lyrics in against a hypnotic backdrop beat.
‘Marie has set up home with a man who’s half my age, a half with in a leotard stands on my stage’. There’s a Netflix mini series waiting to be written right there and Cocker even managed to include a woman named Marie in the lyrics which is practically a contractual obligation in a Tony Christie song.
Beat Goes On deservedly reached Number 1 in the UK Dance Charts upon its release. It’s an impossibly catchy slice of Bossa Nova infused funkiness originally recorded by Sonny & Cher in 1967. This version greatly improves on the original and samples drummer Buddy Rich and his 13 year old daughter covering the hit.
The band even oversaw a Britney Spears version of the song which featured on her debut album.
Phil Oakey lends his dulcet tones to Ist Man In Space and Cocker wins best in show for the line ‘I was the first man in space on our street’ which sounds like it’s been lifted straight from a Reeves and Mortimer sketch. Drive Safely Darlin’ features Cocker’s trademark breathy urgent vocal delivery over a minimal musical accompaniment.
Stars On Sunday evokes a sinister nursery rhyme set to a swing beat with Christie again performing vocal duties. Plastic Diamond is delivered by Stephen Jones in a snarly decadent style that reeks of faded glamour. Sweet Music invokes a High NRG dance beat and disco vocals but seems a little excessive with a running time in excess of 7 minutes.
Elsewhere the tracks, Big Pecker, I Peggio, Dirty Girl and Airy Armpits could easily be jettisoned without anyone really noticing. The four are a little self indulgent and comprise low-fi electronica,and distorted synth and drum beats . The songs have an industrial vibe which could be a nod to the heavy machinery upon which Sheffield’s nickname of the Steel City was founded.
The album gives a snapshot of a grim Northern city with a cast full of mysterious exotic characters . Jarvis Cocker’s lyrical wizardry is interlaced with cabaret crooning, bedroom production and a few dancey beats. The band managed to distill all of Sheffield’s irony, humour, working men’s clubs and uncompromising attitude into their only album.
The group disbanded in 2002 and their legacy was an album that is undoubtedly a challenging listen in parts but remains a very English curio.
The release is complimented by sleeve notes from Cocker himself as well as bonus tracks , remixes and new versions of several songs.
anna howie
Good For Roses
Reviewed by Kathy Wright
Album released 18th April 25
Anna Howie is a tremendous British Country singer-songwriter. Each song is a story, voiced by some beautifully mellow, quirky and well controlled vocals.
The opening track, ‘Bring Me Love’ is true storytelling and leads you well into what to expect from the remainder of the album. I dare anyone not be able to relate to lyrics in at least one of these tracks. Every track is like picking up a new book, each of a different genre.
'Have it All’ is definitely my favourite on the album. Whimsical and humorous lyrics, catchy tune, perfect driving song.
Anna’s final track, ‘Opera House’, is 100% going to be fought over on the next season of ’Strictly’. A moody track, just bursting at the seams with its catchy chorus, beautiful lyrics and perfect tempo.
Overall, a nice, easy listening album, if in the background. But, if really listening to the lyrics, it is a true storytelling session from Anna Howie. There is a song here for pretty much any event in your life you need a tune for, whether it’s because you need to laugh, cry or just remove yourself from your thoughts for a few minutes, this album does the job.
Slung
In Ways - via Fat Dracula
Reviewed by Neil Milner
Album released 2nd May 25
Brighton based Slung release their debut record ‘In-Ways’, which is mostly conventional and sometimes incendiary alternative rock. There’s nothing unique or original about it, but it does occasionally excite, and I know my younger self would have been enthusiastic about it.
It’s also a reminder to myself to give records a chance. I was unimpressed at first, but I have increasingly warmed towards it with more listens and recognise there are some intense themes in the record, matched by the dark melodies and watertight, excellent musicianship and vocals.
The band cite musical influences such as Deftones and Queens of the Stone Age amongst others. I also hear Hole and Duke Spirit, both of which are female fronted bands. Slung vocalist Katie Oldham strongly advocates women being a more dominant force in music. She is an exceptional singer, emotionally drawing you in.
Opening track ‘Laughter’ is about difficult family relationships, especially with parents. I resonated more with the theme than the song.
‘Heavy Duty’ is dark and intense, again with unfortunate parental issues as its core theme. Oldham’s vocal performance here is outstanding.
‘Class A Cherry’ is a classically arranged sombre tale about the world’s oldest profession and all that entails.
‘Matador’ explores Spanish bullfighting and challenges the listener with an intense, explosive chorus, highlighting how shouting can work well in rock in the right circumstance, helping illustrate objections to contentious themes. The song then ends ferociously with all the band keenly contributing.
‘Limassol’ is powerful and darkly solemn, complete with a brooding uncomfortable looping melody. It’s the aural equivalent of staring at a brutalist concrete structure and preferring it to a classical architectural masterpiece complete with Doric columns, despite clear evidence to the contrary and askance looks from HRH King Charles lll. Which in layman’s terms meant that I liked it.
‘Falling Down’ closes the album, and you can hear the inner pain of a relationship ending unexpectedly.
Overall, this is a good, strong record. The band have their demons, which they freely and publicly express throughout these 11 songs. I think they will be a powerful force when playing these live.
Track listing:
1. Laughter
2. Class A Cherry
3. Come Apart
4. Collider
5. Matador
6. Limassol
7. Heavy Duty
8. Thinking About It
9. In Ways
10. Nothing Left
11. Falling Down
the velvet hands
Caller (EP) - Via AWAL
Reviewed by Anya Weston-Shaw
EP released - 1st May 25
With The Caller, The Velvet Hands deliver a sharp, swaggering dose of indie-rock energy that hits hard and leaves no room to catch your breath. Opening track “I Don’t Care” is everything fans could hope for and more — a 2-minute-30-second burst of pure adrenaline, driven by tumbling post-punk guitar riffs, looping basslines, and infectious call-and-response choruses tailor-made for a 00s indie-disco dance floor.
Lyrically, “I Don’t Care” explores the struggle of being consumed by anxiety and negative introspection, and the liberating rush of finally shaking it off. That emotional undercurrent adds depth to a track that otherwise barrels forward with gleeful abandon, channelling the power-pop sharpness of The Strokes, The Vaccines, and a touch of Buzzcocks' raw energy.
While the EP thrives on high energy and punchy arrangements throughout, its title track “Caller” stands out for a different reason. Slightly more mellow in tone, it doesn’t sacrifice any lyrical weight or emotional resonance — instead, it reveals another side of the band’s sound, one that’s just as compelling in its restraint as it is in its more frenetic moments.
All in all, The Caller is a confident, hook-filled statement from The Velvet Hands — loud, heartfelt, and impossible to ignore.
billy nomates
Metalhorse - Invada Records
Reviewed by Andi Bridges
Album released - 16th May 25
Victoria Ann “Tor” Maries’ father died in July 2024, of Parkinsons Disease. He was a massive Stranglers fan, a love that he passed on to his daughter. Tor is, of course, better known as singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Billy Nomates and whilst she was caring and slowly losing her father she was also working on her third album – Metalhorse.
That wasn’t the only upheaval in her life at the time. She took over managing herself and Billy Nomates morphed from the solo act it started as into a fully-fledged group. The band now consists of bass player Mandy Clark (KT Tunstall, The Go! Team) and Liam Chapman (Rozi Plain, BMX Bandits) on drums. Of course, she was also dealing with the fall-out of her 2023 Glastonbury appearance which resulted in a tsunami of misogynistic online abuse.
The album was recorded at Paco Loco, in Seville and helmed by renown producer James Trevascus. What has emerged is a fully rounded concept album loosely based on a dilapidated funfair, representing the tumultuousness of life – risk and pleasure, danger and exhilaration. Circumstances dictated that Billy had to work in a different way. Usually, she starts with the bass guitar and builds around that, but Mandy missed the sessions in Spain (adding her bass parts later), so Maries was able to experiment as they used ‘timid’ bass or no bass at all, finding new ways to construct the songs and fill in the space.
Opener and title track is propelled along on a twangy guitar and piano. The punky attitude is still in abundance, but it has been given a coating of pop sensibility. Dark Horse Friend hides a tale. Whilst recording Billy stated she was going to do the verses like Hugh Cornwall would, Paco (Metalhorse’s engineer, and owner of Paco Loco) said that Hugh would be in the studio tomorrow, if they wanted to ask him to be on the track. I’ll let Tor take up the story “This studio is on the south coast of Seville. It's really in the middle of nowhere. So, I was just like, ‘yeah, sure…’, thinking, something can't be right here.
Maybe he's thinking of someone else with the same name? And the next day, sure as shit, Hugh Cornwell turns up like, ‘you alright?’ it was a “genuinely mental” moment. We had ‘Golden Brown’ playing at my dad’s funeral. He was buried in a Stranglers t-shirt. Literally, their back catalogue is my childhood. [Hugh] is such a big, prominent figure in my life. I can’t even explain, the whole thing felt like a fever dream.” The tune itself rides a sub goth vibe.
Elsewhere track two, Nothin Worth Winnin comes over all synth pop with that 80s Linn drum sound, while Billy’s lyrics point out the turbulence of being part of the music industry. Oldest song on the album, Comedic Timing, written five years ago has finally found a set of tunes it can nestle alongside.
There is a nice touch with the addition of canned laughter buried in the background. What did strike me, which I’ve never noticed before is the country twang to Maries voice. Part Dolly Parton, part Stevie Nicks, very evident on Override. A tune that fairly motors along propelled by a snappy, metronomic drum sound. Plans, another up-tempo rocker, that is radio friendly.
It is a much fuller album, dealing with loss, material insecurity, and trying to stay true to yourself against an increasingly unpredictable backdrop of global chaos. There is plenty of light and shade across these tracks and it is the sound of an artist spreading her wings and looking to take flight.
