James McMurtry – The Horses and the Hounds (New West)
James McMurtry is back after a seven-year break with an album as strong as anything he’s done. It’s The Horses and The Hounds.
Kendall Elise – Let the Night In (Album Review)
The themes of Let the Night In, the second album, by Kendall Elise are big and universal but the stories in Elise’s lyrics are personal and specific. Musically it moves between intimate acoustic folk, confessional country and blues and upbeat pop and rockabilly whilst always maintaining a consistent sound. Elise’s vocals are powerful, and reflect […]
Age Pryor Releases Invisible Lines (Album Review)
Age Pryor releases a new collection that feels like music made Level 4 lockdown: reflective, hopeful and ultimately uplifting. His first solo album in 14 years, Invisible Lines offers superbly delicate vocal tracks and a rich range of influences: alt folk, jazz and pure pop. And even a little rap.
Sierra Ferrell – Long Time Coming (Rounder) Album Review
Sierra Ferrell’s Long Time Coming has, indeed, be a long time coming. So, was it worth the wait?
Album Review: Lorde – Solar Power (Universal)
Lorde delivers Solar Power, four years after her Melodrama. We take a first listen and are impressed.
Martha Wainwright – Love Will Be Reborn (Cooking Vinyl)
Martha Wainwright has released her new album, Love Will Be Reborn. It’s been five years since Martha’s previous studio album and there have been some hard times since then, but you can’t keep a good Wainwright down.
Album Review: The Killers – Pressure Machine (Island)
This latest from The Killers comes quickly on the back of last year’s Imploding The Mirage, but it definitely doesn’t sound rushed.
Album Review: Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Happier Than Ever is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Billie Eilish. Released on July 30, 2021 by Darkroom and Interscope Records, Eilish co-wrote the album with Finneas O’Connell, her brother, co-producer and overall musical wizard.
Graeme James – Field Notes on an Endless Day (Nettwerk)
On Field Notes on an Endless Day, multi-instrumentalist Graeme James uses a wide variety of folk instruments to create soundscapes that accentuate his stories set in summer.
Album Review: The Go! Team Get Up Sequences Part One
Musical obsessive Ian Parton has spent nine years bringing this album to fruition. His passion project The Go! Team originally started with taking multitudes of brief samples to fashion a tapestry of Pop. Or more correctly, Pop Art. Album Review: The Go! Team Get Up Sequences Part One (Memphis Industries)
Album Review: LoneLady – Former Things (Warp)
Julie Campbell started work on the third LoneLady album, Former Things, when she took up a residency at Somerset House’s studio in London in 2016.
EP Review: Freya – Wildest Creatures I’ve Dreamed
North Shore teen Freya serves up her Wildest Creatures I’ve Dreamed.
Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth – Utopian Ashes (Third Man)
Forty one years ago Joy Division charted the emotions of the failing end of a relationship in their classic song Love Will Tear Us Apart and that same sad territory is mapped in Utopian Ashes by Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth. On their first album together Gillespie and Beth use country and chamber pop to […]
Album Review: Hiss Golden Messenger Quietly Blowing It
With a Grammy nomination in his back pocket, M.C. Taylor (aka Hiss Golden Messenger) is on a roll and Quietly Blowing It looks to be one of the year’s finest Americana records.
Album Review: Squirrel Flower – Planet (i)
The album Planet (i) is titled for a new world that Ella Williams, who is Squirrel Flower, imagines people settle and destroy after leaving earth and for her internal world of thoughts and feelings.
Album Review: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – Hope
This is the third album for the three piece Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog which is Ribot, plus two members of the Secret Chiefs 3 avant-rock band. The band has Shahzad Ismaily, on bass and synth and Ches Smith on drum, percussion and electronics. To enjoy their work it probably helps if you tastes run to […]
Album Review: Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend (Liberator)
After the steady progress of their first two albums Wolf Alice have taken a bold step forward with their new album Blue Weekend. The album combines soaring well crafted dynamics, subtle playing and stunning vocals with lyrics that fearlessly tackle a range of human emotions.
13th Floor Album Review: Thomas Isbister – #5
The first impression listening to Thomas Isbister’s brand-new album is Beatles. Specifically, 1966 and the switch to studio artists. Revolver to Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane. Pop music as myriad and quietly subversive. Psychedelic and hallucinogenic. Unsettling but what a nice trip, and at the end you find yourself in a changed world.
Album Review: Chris Thile – Laysongs (Nonesuch)
American bluegrass musician Chris Thile has just released his new album, Laysongs…a truly solo effort. The 13th Floor checks it out.
Album Review: The Datsuns – Eye To Eye (Hellsound Records)
The new Datsuns album Eye To Eye is first and foremost great fun from start to finish. Seven years in the making, but it sounds seamless and fresh and it touches on many classic periods of Rock (& Roll).